ABSTRACT
Objective To explore a new method for improving healing of skin graft donor sites.Methods A total of 40 patients who needed intermediate thickness skin graft from thigh,from January 2014 to December 2015,were randomly devided into experiment group and control group.Skin graft donor sites of the experiment group were covered with Physiotulle Ag and Allevyn foam dressing,while donor sites of the control group were covered with petrolatum impregnated gauze,sterile gauze,and compression bandage.Postoperative infection rate,pain scoring during the first dressing change,time of dressing change between operation and complete healing,duration for complete healing,and the area of non-healing two weeks after operation were compared and statistical analysis was performed with SPSS17.0.Results There was no infection in the experiment group.Two patients developed infection in the control group,with wound exudate culture positive for pseudomonas aeruginosa,and the wounds healed after dressing change.The experiment group was significantly better than that of the control group in pain scoring during the first dressing change,time of dressing change between operation and complete healing,duration of complete healing (U=81.5,P=0.001;U=109.5,P=0.011;t=0.769,P＜0.001).Conclusions The Physiotulle Ag combined with Allevyn foam dressing can enhance healing of skin graft donor sites,alleviate pain of the patient,and reduce dressing change.This method is easy to perform,and skin graft donor sites heal well in two weeks,which may lead a prospected application.
ABSTRACT
In reconstruction of the skin defect, partial thickness skin graft (STSG) is common procedure in plastic and reconstructive surgery. Even if the graft is taken successfully, the texture of the donor site can be an aesthetic problem to the patient and the surgeon. Nowadays, occlusive dressings have been recommended for better results and accelerated healing of the donor site. Although hydrocolloid dressing is one of the popular occlusive dressings, its application is limited to the wounds that have mild to moderate discharge because of its absorption capacity. We modified the DuoDERM EXTRA THIN(TM) with multiple incisions to drain the massive discharge in acute stage in STSG donor dressing from January 2003 to May 2003. During the surgery, the half of the donor site was covered with the modified DuoDERM and the other half with original one as a control study. Dressing was changed after the 2nd day of operation. As bloody exudates were drained through the incisions areas, blood clot was less attached on experimental groups than control. Epithelialization was faster in modified dressing and skin surface was more even than the control. We are reporting the advantage of making multiple incisions on DuoDERM EXTRA THIN(TM) for dressing of the partial thickness skin graft donor site.