VACUUM ASSISTED CLOSURE (VAC) RESULTS IN LOWER EXTREMITIES WITH A NEW SIMPLE CHEAP TECHNIQUE

Abstract

Current treatment modalities for chronic non-healing leg ulcers are time consuming, expensive, and only moderately successful. The use of sub-atmospheric pressure dressings, available commercially as the vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) device, has been shown to be an effective way to accelerate healing of various wounds. There is patented computer-controlled system technology available that is established V.A.C.(KCI Concepts, San Antonio, Texas) treatment. Reducing costs associated with wound treatments is therefore becoming an increasingly important issue in health care. This study included 45 patients with open wounds of the lower extremity with exposed tendon, bone, hardware or with osteomyelitis. Fifteen wounds were the result of trauma. Thirty wounds were non-traumatic (twenty dehisced or infected orthopedic surgical wounds, five pressure sores and five miscellaneous wounds). We use the vacuum therapy as a tool to bridge the period between debridement and definite surgical closure in full-thickness wounds. Treatment efficacy was assessed by semi-quantitative scoring of the wound conditions (signs of rubor, calor, exudate and fibrinous slough) and by wound surface area measurements. In our technique, the system consist of a sterilized simple foam sponge, a vacuum drain, two blood infusion kit and a negative pressure aquarium air pump, one liter salin bottle, an steril drape. It’s mean applying time ten minutes and mean cost at the first time 36 dollars consecutive seances 11 dollars (the aquarium air pump 15 dollars – an electrical engineer change it positive to negative air pressure mode). Forty-five patients who needed open wound management before surgical closure were included in this study. Healing was characterized by development of a clean granulating wound bed (“ready for surgical therapy”) and reduction of wound surface area. To quantify bacterial load, cultures were collected. The total quantitative bacterial load was generally stable. However, nonfermentative gram negative bacilli showed a significant decrease in vacuum-assisted closure-treated wounds, whereas Staphylococcus aureus showed a significant increase in vacuum-assisted closure-treated wounds. Succesfull wound closure was obtained 43 of 45 patients. 41 wounds were closed with split-thicknees skin graft. The median time to complete healing was 31 days (27.5 to 34.5) and wound bed preparation was 7 days (5.8 to 8.2) in the non-computerized V.A.C. therapy, similar with the computerized therapy 29 (25.5 to 32.5–7 days 5.7 to 8.3) This study shows a positive effect of vacuum-assisted closure therapy on wound healing, expressed as a significant reduction of wound surface. The costs of computerized wound care were higher than our techique of V.A.C. and similar clinical results at the end.