[Pressure sore revision surgery].

INTRODUCTION

Pressure sores are a major problem for patients as well as society in general. Immobilised patients are especially at risk. This group of patients with pressure sores should be hospitalised to perform surgical revision of the wound and reconstruction using a flap. Such surgery demands extensive postoperative relief of the flap. The University Centre for Wound Healing at Odense University Hospital has tested the effects of a reduction of the formerly recommended relief period from three to two weeks.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In this article we report results covering all patients who have undergone surgery and reconstruction of pressure sores during the period from 1st October 2001 to 1st November 2008. The results are divided into two periods: the period before and the period after the introduction of the reduced relief period. A total of 80 patients were included; 34 in the first period and 46 in the second period.

RESULTS

We achieved a considerable reduction in median length of stay from 38 to 27 days with no increase in surgical or complication frequency. Furthermore, the share of fully healed remained unchanged.

CONCLUSION

We believe that there is no risk in shortening the immobile postoperative relief phase following reconstruction of pressure wounds in immobilised patients.