Die Behandlung traumatischer Weichteilwunden mit der Vakuumtherapie – Grundlagen, Indikationen und klinische Anwendung

Abstract

The management of complex soft-tissue injuries remains a challenge for the surgeon. The treatment of acute and chronic wounds with the vacuum-assisted-closure technique (VAC) is an efficient and widely accepted alternative for wound management. The clinical experience of the last two decades, as well as a number of animal and in-vitro-studies describe the potential advantages of this method compared to conventional wound treatment, even though the evidence for its superiority is only weak. The potential effects of VAC therapy are attributed to (1) continuous removal of wound fluid and debris, (2) the stimulation of the formation of granulation tissue, and (3) wound retraction due to negative pressure. Other advantages are the easy handling, the patient comfort and the hygienic shielding of the wound against environmental contamination.