Haemostatic squeezing and purse-string sutures: optimising surgical techniques for early excision of critical infantile haemangiomas.

Background/purpose: Surgical excision of critical infantile haemangiomas (HMs) is usually delayed until intralesional blood flow spontaneously decreases, but fibrofatty tissue and exuberant skin invariably remain even after total involution. The aim of this study was to describe 2 surgical techniques used for early excision in 50 selected cases of HM defined critical in site or size.

Methods: Among a total of 952 patients affected by HM observed from 1999 to 2005, 50 children (5.