| Objective: To evaluate the Clinical application of Vacuum assisted closure(VAC) on fascio- cutaneous flap transplantation.Methods: Retrospective analysis of 40 patients with skin and soft tissue defects in the lower extremity of the Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery in First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University during the period January 2012 until December 2015,including 24 males and 16 females,mean patients age was 42.8 years old(range:15-65 years old). All patients had experienced all acute injury, caused by either a traffic accident in 27 cases,a fall from heights in 3 case,and a mechanical injury in 10 cases. They were presented with fasciocutaneous flap transplantation. They were divided into two groups. Group A(n=20) consists of the patients treated with VAC dressing, whereas group B(n=20) is the control group, which covered with sterile dressing without use application of Vacuum assisted closure. We observed the survival of the skin flaps with all patients.Results: Group A of skin flap survived without flap ischemia and necrosis, wound healed, scar relatively lessened, skin appearance favorable maintained and limb function good recovered. However, 6 pressure sores patients with ischemia and necrosis of skin flap were cured after change the dressing of the wound in group B, including 4 cases with wounds healing, 2 patients required re-grafting.Conclusions: The application of Vacuum assisted closure using the high negative pressure can eliminate the dead space, improve the microcirculation of skin flap, promote the growth of new blood vessels of the wound, remove the secretions and necrotic tissue of the fascia flap, relieve flap swelling, ensure the survival of the flap, accelerate wound healing,reduce the incidence of complications, recover function of limb. VAC is a simple, safe and effective method for the treatment of fasciocutaneous flap transplantation. It is worth to be popularized in clinical application. |
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