Comparison of vacuum-assisted closure device and conservative treatment for fasciotomy wound healing in ischaemia-reperfusion syndrome: preliminary results.

Ischaemia-reperfusion syndrome (IRS) is a condition that may require early fasciotomy. In the past, fasciotomies ultimately required prolonged hospitalisation. Vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy system is an innovative method which promotes wound healing by reducing wound oedema, increasing microcirculation, and stimulation of granulation tissue. The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the VAC treatment with the conservative treatment of the fasciotomy wound until definitive surgical closure. The researchers retrospectively identified 15 patients, 3 females and 12 males, with a mean age of 69 years, who underwent a fasciotomy between January 2003 and December 2009 at the University Hospital of Geneva. All of the fasciotomies performed on the patients were on account of IRS. Seven patients were subjected to wound treatment using the VAC-system device and eight patients underwent treatment through the usual conservative method. The data were analysed by comparing the operative wound size, length of time for wound closure and duration of hospital stay in both groups. The number of days after fasciotomy until surgical wound closure in the VAC-system group (n = 7) ranged from 8 to 13 days with a mean of 11 days. The wound size at the day of closure was decreased in length by a mean of 58% (range 29-67%) and in diameter by a mean of 56% (range 33-75%). The duration of hospital stay for this group ranged from 12 to 18 days with a mean of 14 days. No signs of infections were observed and no re-operation was required after first closure. In the conservative group (n = 8), the time to wound closure ranged between 12 and 20 days with a mean of 15 days. The wound size was decreased in length by a mean of 40% (range 32-53%) and in diameter by a mean 46% (range 30-70%). The mean duration of hospital stay was 18·5 days. Three of the patients in the conservative treatment group manifested wound infection during the course of the treatment. VAC device could be a new standard for treatment of fasciotomy wound. VAC therapy is a recent innovation and becoming more and more a necessary complementary therapy to hasten wound healing. In our preliminary study, the VAC-system device showed significantly reduction of the wound size, decreased tissue oedema, duration of hospital days and improvement of granulation tissue.