Simple and Effective Negative Pressure Therapy in Chronic Wound

Park, Myong Chul; Lee, Il Jae; Lee, Jung Hoon

Abstract

Wounds with exposed tendon or bone and chronic wounds present a difficult treatment challenge. Vacuum- assisted closure technique and device has become a widely accepted technique in the management of difficult and chronic wounds. But, the cost is still relatively high and the treatment is not fully covered by insurance. We designed the simple modality of continuous negative therapy using wall suction for the wound treatment. The sterile foam filled the entire wound and the tube was placed in the foam. The site was covered with an adhesive sheet. The tube was then connected to the wall suction, and negative pressure(125 mmHg) was applied to the wound site. Wounds were inspected and the dressings were changed every other day. This continuous negative pressure therapy using wall suction reduced the amount of tissue edema and increased localized blood flow, and the applied forces resulted in enhanced formation of granulation tissue. The wounds could be closed primarily or covered with split thickness skin grafting. We conclude that this continuous negative pressure therapy using a wall suction is an efficient modality for treating difficult and chronic wounds with a moderate cost.