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.

Timing of Microsurgical Reconstruction in Lower Extremity Trauma: An Update of the Godina Paradigm.

BACKGROUND: Marko Godina, in his landmark paper in 1986, established the principle of early flap coverage for reconstruction of traumatic lower extremity injuries. The aim of this study was to determine how timing influences outcomes in lower extremity traumatic free flap reconstruction based on Godina's original findings. METHODS: A retrospective review identified 358 soft-tissue free flaps from 1979 to 2016 for below knee trauma performed within 1 year of injury. Patients were stratified based on timing of coverage: 3 days or less (early), 4 to 90 days (delayed), and more than 90 days (late). The delayed group was further divided into two groups: 4 to 9 days and 10 to 90 days. Flap outcomes were examined based on timing of reconstruction. RESULTS: Flaps performed within 3 days after injury compared with between 4 to 90 days had decreased risk of major complications (OR, 0.40, p = 0.04). A receiver operating curve demonstrated day 10 to be the optimal day for predicting flap success. Flaps performed less than or equal to 3 days versus 4 to 9 days had no differences in any flap outcomes. In contrast, flaps performed within 4 to 9 days of injury compared to within 10 to 90 days were associated with significantly lower total flap failure rates (relative risk, 0.29, p = 0.025) and major complications (relative risk, 0.37, p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Early free flap reconstruction performed within 3 days of injury had superior outcomes compared with the delayed (4 to 90 day) group, consistent with Godina's original findings. However, as an update to his paradigm, this ideal early period of reconstruction can be safely extended to within 10 days of injury without an adverse effect on outcomes. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, III.

Negative pressure wound therapy with instillation: past, present, and future.

Negative pressure wound therapy with instillation (NPWTi) is a novel treatment option that provides the combination of negative pressure with intermittent instillation of a solution. Standard Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) is an established adjunctive treatment option that offers the ability to promote granulation tissue in wounds. However, there is limited evidence for its utility in the environment of active or senescent infection. Wounds that are acutely infected or that contain deleterious biofilm are a challenging problem, which require an intensive multimodal approach including antibiosis, surgical intervention, and local wound care. Adjunctive application of NPWTi can potentially expedite clearance of infection and wound closure. Although this technology has been commercially available for over a decade, its adoption has been limited. Recently, there has been a resurgence of interest in this therapy with emerging evidence from animal models as well as human clinical studies. There are remaining questions regarding NPWTi including the selection of the optimal instillation solution and device settings. This article discusses the past development, current knowledge, and future direction of NPWTi.