SERI Surgical Scaffold as an Adjunct to Conventional Brachioplasty

SUMMARY: Although the popularity of longitudinal brachioplasty has grown tremendously in recent years, dealing with the unpredictable scar remains a challenge for the surgeon and the patient. The scar often heals slowly and widens over time, perpetuated by the effects of gravity, body movements, and the thin nature of the superficial fascial system (SFS) of the arm. Scar widening may correlate with recurrence of the soft-tissue deformity as the repaired underlying SFS stretches. Therefore, techniques that support and stabilize the SFS are highly desirable for addressing the problematic scar. In the present case, the author used a silk-derived surgical scaffold (SERI) as an adjunct to conventional brachioplasty. SERI provided the requisite support for the patient’s SFS, resulting in a faster maturation process and a better-quality scar. This stands in stark contrast to the majority of longitudinal brachioplasty results reported in the medical literature.