Sabbath Observance and Delayed Primary Repair of Lacerations: Experience from a Plastic Surgery Practice

Abstract

Background: Despite public and medical professionals’ misconceptions about the timing of laceration repair and its consequences, it has been shown that the concept of the “golden period” has not been established, and in many uncomplicated wounds, may extend beyond 24 hours. This author presents his experience with delaying primary repairs, which may represent one of the largest published casuistries. Methods: A retrospective review of cases over a 14-year practice and review of the literature on the topic of the golden period and delayed primary repair of lacerations were performed. Results: Of a total of 6408 lacerations repaired, 313 were identified as planned delayed repairs (4.9%). The time of delay was estimated to be between 3 and 28 hours from the injury until treatment. There were no reported complications on the delayed repairs. Conclusion: Delayed repair of uncomplicated wounds does not increase the rate of infection or impact the final cosmetic outcome and may be applied safely by qualified professionals in carefully selected cases.