Incision (-tomy)
Written by Rhiana Devadasan
(refer to "-tomy" section)
Surgical Incision = a cut made through the skin and soft tissue to facilitate an operation or procedure.
Principles
- An incision is made according to the expected extent of exposure needed for the specific operation planned.
- Langer’s lines – topological lies on the human body which correspond to the natural orientation of collagen fibres in the skin.
- They are generally parallel to the orientation of the underlying muscle
- Incisions made parallel to these lines may heal better and produce less scarring than those cut across.
Examples of Specific Incisions:
- Head and Neck Incisions:
- Wilde’s incision – used for drainage of mastoiditis
- Chest incisions:
- Median Sternotomy - used primarily for cardiac procedures
- Thoracotomy – division of the ribs from the side of the chest
- Abdominal and Pelvic incisions:
- Laparotomy – Midline incision following the linea alba
- Pfannenstiel Incision – lower transverse incision made in the lower segment of the uterus; commonly used in C-sections
- Chevron incision – Made in the abdomen, below the rib cage; cut begins under midaxillary line below ribs all the way across abdomen to opposite midaxillary line
- Maylard Incision – used o section rectus abdominis muscles transversally to permit wider access to pelvis
- Eye Incisions:
- Radial keratotomy – corneal microincisions made to flatten cornea and correct myopia