After suturing, if dog ears form at the scar line, what is the recommended management?

• A. Excise dog ears, re-suture.
• B. Leave as is.
• C. Remove suture only.
• D. Apply dressing changes.

Answer: (A)

Dog ears are excess tissue at the ends of a closure that causes a puckered, bulging edge. When one appears along the scar line after suturing, the best management is to excise that extra tissue and re-suture so the wound edges align flatly and the scar lies in a single plane. This corrects the contour and reduces a prominent scar. Simply leaving it, removing only the sutures, or changing dressings doesn’t address the excess tissue and won’t improve the appearance or healing.