Challenges and Management in Wound Care.

SUMMARY: Wounds have been one of the most prominent pathologies since the beginning of humanity. For the last 5 decades, a drastic improvement of healing has been observed, thanks to new medical devices based on fluid aspiration capacities and the development of negative pressure wound therapy. Negative-pressure wound therapy was initially designed for a double action, fluid aspiration and mechanical stimulation of wound edges by a foam. Successive technical evolutions of negative pressure wound therapy were declined since 1997 when Argenta and Morykwas first presented their solution. The adjunct of instillation in 2009 was considered as the first interactive dressing, allowing topical wound solutions to sequentially reach the wound, in alternance with negative pressure. Other devices based on the same principle were designed to prevent postoperative infections when placed over a suture after surgery. This long evolution could enhance the armamentarium of possible solutions, considerably reducing the wound healing time.

Use of Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy With Instillation and Dwell in Breast Reconstruction.

SUMMARY: The use of negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has expanded over the last 3 decades, paralleled and documented by an increase in research. This article discusses the evolution and current applications of NPWT in modern breast reconstruction. Negative-pressure wound therapy with instillation and dwell (NPWTi-d) technology can be used to remove infectious material, facilitate salvaging compromised tissue, and stabilize the soft-tissue environment. Published consensus NPWTi-d guidelines can aid in treatment selection and implementation of this new technology. The therapeutic approach of simultaneously removing infectious material and actively improving mastectomy flap perfusion and thickness is a burgeoning concept, and illustrative cases are presented. NPWTi-d preliminary use has led to reconstruction salvage with reproducible early experience and outcomes, and it is hoped that it will raise interest and awareness of this promising application of the technology to improve breast reconstruction outcomes.

Godina's Principles in the Twenty-First Century and the Evolution of Lower Extremity Trauma Reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: February of 2016 marked 30 years since the passing of Marko Godina, a pioneer and prodigy in the field of reconstructive microsurgery. Most noteworthy among his many contributions was his method of radical debridement of contaminated compound fractures followed by early free tissue transfer for wound closure. In the last three decades, the landscape of reconstructive surgery has undergone significant transformation owing to advances in reconstructive techniques and wound care technology, as well as new data. METHODS: Dr. Godina's work and legacy are reviewed, compared and contrasted with new and evolving data regarding lower extremity trauma reconstruction. RESULTS: Advancements in technique and technology have greatly molded lower extremtiy reconstruction over the past thirty years. Nonetheless, Dr. Godina's principles of timely care and early vascularized soft tissue coverage have withstood the test of time. CONCLUSION: Marko Godina's contribution to reconstructive microsurgery cannot be overstated and his groundbreaking work continues to serve as the foundation of lower extremity trauma reconstruction. Three decades after his seminal work, we honor Dr. Godina's legacy and explore how his principles have endured, evolved, or been replaced.

Maggot Therapy for Wound Care in Austere Environments.

The past 25 years have seen an increase in use of maggot therapy for wound care. Maggot therapy is very effective in wound debridement; it is simple to apply and requires very little in the way of resources, costs, or skilled personnel. These characteristics make it well suited for use in austere environments. The use of medical-grade maggots makes maggot therapy nearly risk free, but medical grade maggots may not always be available, especially in the wilderness or in resource-limited communities. By understanding myiasis and fly biology, it should be possible even for the nonentomologist to obtain maggots from the wild and apply them therapeutically, with minimal risks.

History of lower limb reconstruction after trauma.

BACKGROUND: The principles guiding reconstruction of the lower limb after trauma have become established over 300 years through advances in technology and studies of epidemiology. This paper reviews how these principles came about and why they are important. METHODS: This is a structured review of historical and recent literature pertinent to lower limb reconstruction. The outcomes assessed in the pre-modern era were wound mortality, amputation mortality and amputation rate. In the modern era, infection and non-union emerged as measures of outcome, which are morbidity- rather than mortality-based. Indications for amputation published during the eras are taken to reflect the reconstructive practices of the time. RESULTS: Amputation and wound mortality fell throughout the pre-modern era, from 70% and 20% to 1.8% and 1.8%, respectively. Amputation rates peaked in the American Civil War (53%) but have remained less than 20% since then. Infection and non-union rates in the modern era have fluctuated between 5% and 45%. CONCLUSIONS: Priority areas for research include refinement of soft tissue reconstruction, injury classification, standardization of outcome measures and primary prevention. The impact of débridement and antisepsis on outcomes should not be forgotten as progress is made.

From Koch's postulates to biofilm theory. The lesson of Bill Costerton.

The clinical diagnoses of implant infections pose insurmountable difficulties for cultural methods because of their frequent failure when bacteria are growing in biofilms. In 1978 Bill Costerton warned that chronic infections in patients with indwelling medical devices were caused by bacteria growing in well-developed glycocalyx-enclosed biofilms and that bacteria within biofilms resist antibiotic therapies and immune host defenses. Costerton's "biofilm theory" opened two lines of scientific endeavor: the study of the biochemistry and genetics of biofilm formation and function; and, on the other side, the search for new methods for medical diagnosis and treatment of biofilm-centered implant infections. This Editorial and the entire 2012 issue "Focus on Implant Infections" are dedicated to the memory of Bill Costerton, recognized worldwide as the Father of Biofilms for his innovation and body of work on infections caused by sessile bacteria. Bill Costerton was a great scientist, heedful both to the biological aspects of biofilms and to the medical challenges of new diagnostic methods and modern therapeutic approaches to implant infections. But, most of all, he was a charming Maestro for the large number of colleagues and students whose enthusiasm for the science he was able to nourish. Bill passed away on May 12th, 2012 and the entire science community mourns the death of a friend and a leader.

Historical origins and current concepts of wound debridement.

In the late 18th Century wound debridement consisted of incision of skin and deep fascia to release the swelling associated with ballistic injury, however extremity war wounds were more usually managed non-operatively or by amputation. During the First World War debridement was redefined to include excision of all non-viable and foreign material. In the modern era it has been proposed that wounds contain a zone of injured tissue which is not obviously non-viable at the initial debridement. Debridement which preserves this tissue has been described as marginal debridement. Wounds sustained in close proximity to explosions have an extensive zone of injury. Preservation of traumatised tissue may be beneficial in terms of limb salvage and limb reconstruction. Equally the complexity and contamination of these wounds, as well as the physiological frailty of the casualty, may make complete debridement in one sitting an unachievable goal. Where traumatised tissue has been left during debridement it must be reassessed at around 48 hours in order to reduce the risk of infection. Evacuation timelines and logistic infrastructure currently support serial marginal debridement but in future conflicts this may not be the case.

History, goals, and technique of laparoscopic pancreatic necrosectomy.

The surgical treatment of severe acute pancreatitis has significantly changed in the last several years with the advent of enhanced imaging techniques and minimally invasive surgery. Criteria for surgical intervention have been influenced by the use of step-up approaches that provide incremental multimodality interventions with repeat imaging. Here, we provide a brief introduction to the history, goals, indications, and technique of laparoscopic pancreatic necrosectomy. The technique requires a fundamental understanding of the natural history of pancreatitis and its complication. Laparoscopic approaches can be useful as primary and adjunctive therapy for the treatment of infected pancreatitic necrosis.

The classic: The treatment of chronic osteomyelitis with the maggot (larva of the blow fly). 1931.

This Classic article is a reprint of the original work by William S. Baer, MD, The Treatment of Chronic Osteomyelitis With the Maggot (Larva of the Blow Fly). An accompanying biographical sketch on William Baer, is available at DOI 10.1007/s11999-010-1415-4 . The Classic Article is ©1931 by the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc. and is reprinted with permission from Baer WS. The treatment of chronic osteomyelitis with the maggot (larva of the blow fly). J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1931;13:438-475.

Biographical sketch: William S. Baer (1872-1931).

This biographical sketch on William S. Baer corresponds to the historic text, The Classic: The Treatment of Chronic Osteomyelitis With the Maggot (Larva of the Blow Fly), available at DOI 10.1007/s11999-010-1416-3.

Five millennia of wound care products--what is new? A literature review.

The first wound an wound treatments were described five millennia ago. Since then, various principles of wound care have been passed on from generation to generation. In contrast to large numbers of general technological inventions over the last 100 years, progress beyond ancient wound care practices is a recent phenomenon. It is essential to know the historical aspects of wound treatment (both successes and failures) in order to continue this progress and provide future direction. A survey of the literature shows that concepts such as "laudable pus" persisted for hundreds of years and that lasting discoveries and meaningful progress did not occur until grand-scale manufacturing and marketing started. Landmarks such as understanding the principles of asepsis/antisepsis, fundamental cellular research findings, knowledge about antibiotics/antimicrobials, moist wound healing, and the chemical and physical processes of wound healing have provided the foundation to guide major developments in wound management, including available evidence-based guidelines. Although research regarding interaction of basic wound management principles remains limited, the combined efforts of global research and clinical groups predict a bright future for improved wound management.

[Advancement of maggot including living body to treat chronic infected wounds].

Human has used maggot to treat diseases for thousands of years. In recent years, with abuse of antibiotic and the rising incidence of antibiotic resistance, maggot therapy, as a surgical alternative, is mainly applied to treat chronic infected wounds on account of its low cost, efficacy and safety. Its mechanisms are disinfection, bio-debridement and enhancement of tissue regeneration. Maggot therapy which serves as a kind of biological therapy is promising. However, living maggot therapy could result in inevitable complications, so that we should apply traditional Chinese medicine theory to investigate and develop new delivery method of maggot. The review summarizes the past and present of maggot therapy.

Larval therapy from antiquity to the present day: mechanisms of action, clinical applications and future potential.

When modern medicine fails, it is often useful to draw ideas from ancient treatments. The therapeutic use of fly larvae to debride necrotic tissue, also known as larval therapy, maggot debridement therapy or biosurgery, dates back to the beginnings of civilisation. Despite repeatedly falling out of favour largely because of patient intolerance to the treatment, the practice of larval therapy is increasing around the world because of its efficacy, safety and simplicity. Clinical indications for larval treatment are varied, but, in particular, are wounds infected with multidrug-resistant bacteria and the presence of significant co-morbidities precluding surgical intervention. The flies most often used in larval therapy are the facultative calliphorids, with the greenbottle blowfly (Lucilia sericata) being the most widely used species. This review summarises the fascinating and turbulent history of larval therapy from its origin to the present day, including mechanisms of action and evidence for its clinical applications. It also explores future research directions.

[Carl von Reyher's studies of wound therapy]. / Carl von Reyhers Studien zur Wundtherapie.

Carl von Reyher (1846-1890), a young Russian army surgeon of the late nineteenth century, established the principle of repeated debridements on a scientific basis. After a visit to Lister's clinic, acquainting himself with antiseptic wound management, von Reyher was the first to present a controlled study of debridement in contaminated gunshot wounds. He was able to show that the combination of primary debridement and antiseptic treatment decreased the mortality rate of gunshot injuries from 66% to 23%. Although published in more than 16 papers and presented at international congresses, Reyher's contribution was completely negated. Finally more than 30 years later in World War I, the Inter-allied Surgical Conference officially endorsed primary excision with delayed wound closure as the rule for treatment of gunshot wounds.

Maggot debridement therapy: a primer.

Treatment of chronic wounds of the lower extremity requires a systematic, multidisciplinary approach as well as flexibility in order to achieve acceptable, consistent short-term and long-term results. Maggots, once considered an obsolete therapeutic modality, can be a useful addition to the armamentarium of the foot and ankle specialist. This article describes the use of maggot debridement therapy for intractable wounds of the lower extremity.

Débridement of gunshot wounds: semantics and surgery.

Débridement is a well established modality for management of gunshot wounds. The word "débridement" is originally French. It was used for the first time during the eighteenth century in the surgical context and meant "wound incision." For French surgeons, it has retained to this day its original meaning. In medical English, though, the use of the term has been marred by persisting confusion about its definition. Two quite different surgical procedures still compete for the definition of débridement: wound incision and wound excision. These procedures are also at the center of a modern controversy about the management of gunshot wounds. The orthodox doctrine, inherited from military surgeons, consists of aggressive tissue excision around the bullet track. This radical policy is being challenged by advocates of a more conservative approach. Minimal tissue excision is sufficient and safe in many cases provided careful monitoring of the wound is instituted. Wound incision alone to relieve tension and allow drainage is possible in certain cases. The tug-of-war between excision and incision is outlined herein with reference to the semantic tribulations of the word "débridement" and the implications for patient care.

The early history of arthroplasty in the United States.

Arthroplasty is defined in the broadest sense as a reconstructive procedure that alters the structure or function of a joint. The first recorded procedures done in the United States in the early nineteenth century and the introduction of modern total joint replacement in the 1970s will be discussed. Although major surgical procedures occasionally were performed in the early 1800s, it was not until the introduction of general anesthesia and antiseptic techniques during the latter half of the nineteenth century that the field of surgery could be developed. Procedures involving the major joints of the upper and lower extremities are described. These procedures include resection and interposition arthroplasties, joint debridement, procedures done to correct complications of hip fractures and developmental dysplasia of the hip, cup arthroplasties, endoprosthetic replacement, hinge arthroplasties, resurfacing procedures, and early total joint replacement.