Negative pressure dressing in split-thickness skin grafts: experience with an alternative method.

BACKGROUND The use of negative pressure in the dressing of splitthickness skin grafts has been shown to promote healing by a variety of mechanisms, including a decrease in interstitial edema, an increase in perfusion, and a decrease in bacterial colonization. METHODS An observational study was performed on 52 patients at the Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Perugia in Perugia, Italy, undergoing split-thickness skin grafting for acute wounds after trauma and for chronic wounds, such as pressure ulcers and diabetic wounds. The dressing used consisted of a single foam sheet, a conventional disposable closed-system suction drain, and an adhesive dressing. RESULTS In all patients, there was a 95% take of the graft, with 5% of partial loss. There were no significant complications encountered. CONCLUSIONS Negative pressure wound therapy is an innovative and commercially successful concept for the management of difficultto- treat wounds of nearly every etiology, and the authors' technique is an alternative to commercially available negative pressure dressings..