Study of negative pressure wound therapy in management of abdominal wound dehiscence

Abstract

Background: Postlaparotomy Abdominal wound dehiscence (AWD) occurs in 0.25% to3%. Many technique are being used to manage AWD like surgical revision with open dressing/closed irrigation, temporary covering with ‘Bagota bag’, saline soak gause dressing, absorbable/permanent mesh. Negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is a recent modality of treatment of wound. It involves controlled application of sub atmospheric pressure to local wound environment, using sealed wound dressing connected to vacuum pump. This study aimed at finding the effectiveness of negative pressure wound therapy in management of abdominal wound dehiscence over conventional methods of wound management.Methods: This was hospital based non randomised comparative prospective interventional study carried between July 2017 to November 2019, includes all patients admitted in GMCH, Nagpur Hospital having post laparotomy AWD, excluding the patients having enter ocutaneous fistula and patient not giving consent for VAC application. Total n=60 cases were included in study. Out of 60, 30 were taken as cases in whom intervention was done by applying vaccum assisted closure (VAC) therapy and 30 were control.Results: All 60 patients had undergone laparotomy of this patients 30 patients was applied NPWT and efficacy plotted on the parameter of, wound sepsis, wound contraction, length of hospital stay and extension of time therapy. It was found that 90% patients had negative c/s post VAC dressing, compared to 26% in post ns dressing, there was MWC of 0.86 cm in post VAC patients compared to 0.14 cm in post NS dressing, MHS was 18.9 days in cases and was 28 days in controls,13 patients had complete fascial closure in cases whereas none in controls.Conclusions: NPWT significantly reduces the hospital stay of patients, it causes faster and higher degree of wound contraction, reduces wound sepsis thereby reducing morbidity of patients.