VACUUM ASSISTED CLOSURE (VAC) THERAPY FOR DIFFICULT WOUND MANAGEMENT

Vacuum Assisted Closure (Vac) Therapy

Abstract

Objective: To show the usefulness of vacuum assisted closure (VAC) therapy for management of difficult wounds.
Study Design: descriptive type of study.
Place and Duration of the study: The study was conducted in the surgical dept of Combined Military Hospital Rawalpindi from September 2002 to February 2003.
Patients and Methods: Fifty two patients were selected through non-probability convenient sampling.
Results: Age ranged from 12 years to 61 years. Out of 52 patients 22% were females while 78% were males. The commonest wound type was traumatic in 68%, diabetic ulcer in 15%, pressure ulcer in 8%, venous ulcer in 7% and radiation ulcers in 2%. The commonest location of wound was lower limb in 42%, foot in 30%, hand in 12%, abdomen in 9% and chest in 7%. Muscle and soft tissues comprised the largest group of wound bed 71%, tendon in 16%, bone in 7% and orthopedic implant in 6%. Out of 52 patients in the study 18% were smokers while 21% had diabetes mellitus. The reduction in wound size at the end of VAC therapy was 68.1%. Granulation tissue formed in 88% of wounds. Duration of VAC therapy ranged from 2 weeks to 5 weeks. The dressing changes ranged from 2 to 12 and mean was 5 dressing changes. Foam odour, pain in-growth of granulation tissue in foam and infection.

Conclusion: Vacuum-assisted closure therapy promotes healing and the formation of healthy granulation tissue.