[Costs and long-term results of plastic surgery treatment of decubitus ulcers in paraplegic patients].

Costs and long-term results of plastic surgical procedures were evaluated in 17 paraplegics with a mean age of 39 years and Campbell-Grade 5 pressure sores. Seven sacral, nine ischial and one trochanteric ulcers were treated by myocutaneous or fasciocutaneous flaps. The mean hospitalization period was 82 days: up to 44 days in the plastic surgical department, 29 days in referring hospitals. During the follow-up period, averaging 18 (6 to 33) months, four patients suffered recurrences, all of them ischial sores. Evaluated regarding occupational resumption or duration of wheelchair mobility, eleven patients achieved full and two patients partial rehabilitation. The success rate justifies the operative procedures. Cost reduction by shortened hospitalization could be achieved through earlier transfer of patients to specialized units since preoperative preparation requires rarely more than one week and surgical relief can usually be achieved within a confined period of time. Orthopaedic deformities contributed to the majority of sores and to all recurrences.