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Erschienen in:
01.08.2012 | Original Paper
Vacuum closure as a skin-graft dressing: a comparison against conventional dressing
Erschienen in: European Journal of Plastic Surgery | Ausgabe 8/2012
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Background
Grafting condition is one of the important determinants of skin-graft take. The technique of Vacuum-Closure has been claimed to improve the same and thereby graft take. However, there are few comparative studies against the conventional dressing technique evaluating its effectiveness in skin grafting. The present study was undertaken to compare Vacuum-closure with conventional dressing over freshly laid split-skin grafts.
Methods
Consecutive patients undergoing split-skin grafting were randomized into cases and controls. The grafts in controls were covered by a conventional dressing consisting of vaseline gauze and cotton pads. Those in cases were covered by a vacuum-closure assembly and connected to a wall-suction of 80 mm Hg continuously for four days. The percentage of graft take was assessed at nine days and at two weeks and duration of the dressing were compared between the two groups. The difference in cost of the dressing was noted down.
Results
Sixty four patients underwent split skin grafting of 71 wounds. Forty three of them were males and twenty nine were females. The grafted wounds included fresh surgically created wounds, traumatic wounds, acute and chronic burn wounds, post-inflammatory wounds and diabetic wounds. Thirty five of the grafts were cases and 36 were controls. Final graft take at two weeks in the study group ranged from 70-100 per cent with an average of 95.29 per cent graft take (SD: 5.9) while the control group showed a graft take ranging between 0-100 percent with an average graft take of 85.89 percent (SD: 25.1) Duration of dressing of the grafts was 11.63 days in cases as against 15.11 days in controls. The differences were statistically significant. The additional cost of the vacuum-closure assembly for an average sized ulcer was 6.27 pounds.
Conclusion
Negative pressure dressing increases the amount of graft take and should be used particularly when the wound bed and grafting conditions seem less-than-ideal for a complete graft take. Negative-pressure dressing can be economically and effectively assembled using locally available materials.
Level of Evidence:
Level I, therapeutic study.