Successful Salvage of a Lower Extremity Local Flap Using Multiple Negative Pressure Modalities.

Wounds from orthopedic limb reconstruction are often difficult to heal due to the surgery, patient comorbidities, or a combination of these factors. The role of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) modalities in the perioperative management of patients with complex lower extremity wounds is evolving. Here, we present a case study using adjunctive NPWT with instillation and a dwell time, standard NPWT, and closed-incision negative pressure therapy (ciNPT) to manage a complex lower extremity wound. The patient was a 51-year-old man who presented with severe scarring of the lower extremity and infection following plate osteosynthesis of a tibial shaft fracture. Following lower extremity reconstruction, the patient received 5 days of NPWT with instillation and a dwell time with cycles that consisted of instilling normal saline with a 1-second dwell time, followed by 2 hours of continuous negative pressure at -125 mm Hg. The wound is then covered with an adjacent local tissue flap, which showed signs of vascular complication. ciNPT is applied over the flap incision for 7 days, which resulted in restored normal coloration; ciNPT is continued for another 7 days. A skin substitute is applied over the flap donor site, followed by NPWT using a silver foam dressing. Dressing changes are performed weekly for 4 weeks. At 8 weeks postsurgery, a skin graft is applied over the donor site. In this case, adjunctive use of multiple NPWT modalities resulted in a completely healed wound within 12 months with no complications.

Closure of a Complex Lower Extremity Wound With the Use of Multiple Negative Pressure Therapy Modalities.

Complex lower extremity wounds can present challenges in healing due to the cause of injury or previous surgery, presence of infection or tissue necrosis, patient comorbidities, or a combination of these factors. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) modalities play a major role in the perioperative management of patients with complex wounds and their adjunctive use continues to evolve with time. In this case study, we discuss the use of adjunctive NPWT with instillation and dwell time (NPWTi-d) and closed incision negative pressure therapy (ciNPT) to assist with the management of a complex lower extremity wound. The patient was a 25-year-old female who presented with an actively draining Morel-Lavallée lesion of the left lateral thigh that she had previously sustained after being struck by a motor vehicle as a pedestrian. She was initially evaluated and admitted for the avulsion injury approximately two weeks prior to this and had a drain placed at that time. However, due to issues with compliance, she had not been re-evaluated. She now presented with a suspected infection of her left lower extremity, and was thus admitted, placed on intravenous cefazolin and underwent several rounds of excisional debridement and irrigation. The patient was then managed operatively by the plastic surgery service. This care included three rounds of tissue advancement, followed by a seven-day course of NPWTi-d. Cycles consisted of normal saline instillation with a one-second dwell time, followed by six hours of continuous negative pressure at -125 mm Hg. The patient was then taken back for a final round of reconstruction with tissue advancement. A split-thickness skin graft was used at that time to cover the remaining area of the wound that the advancement could not close. A seven-day course of ciNPT (PREVENA RESTOR BELLA•FORM™ System; 3M + KCI, San Antonio, TX) was then applied to manage the incisions and bolster the graft. This was followed by simple dressing changes several times weekly for four weeks. In this case, we demonstrate how the adjunctive use of multiple NPWT modalities resulted in a completely healed wound within two months, without any major complications.

Povidone-iodine Does Not Affect Acellular Dermal Matrix Integration in Patients Undergoing 2-staged, Prepectoral, Breast Reconstructive Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Povidone-iodine has been traditionally used as an antimicrobial agent to irrigate the breast pocket and rinse the prosthesis before placement in the pocket. Use of povidone-iodine with breast implants was banned from 2000 to 2017. During this period, acellular dermal matrix (ADM) was introduced to breast surgery. In nonclinical studies, povidone-iodine can impair collagen synthesis and kill fibroblasts. Cellular repopulation was critical for ADM integration. Whether povidone-iodine impacts ADM integration was unknown. METHODS: Patients who underwent immediate, prepectoral, 2-staged breast reconstruction were included in this retrospective study. Study population was divided into povidone-iodine-treated patients and triple-antibiotic-treated patients. The breast pockets were rinsed with the antimicrobial agent, and the prostheses and ADMs were presoaked in the agent perioperatively. At implant exchange, the extent of ADM integration was clinically assessed. ADM integration was defined as >25% of matrix vascularization. ADM integration and postoperative complications were compared between the groups. RESULTS: A total of 111 patients (257 reconstructions) were included-58 patients (111 reconstructions) were exposed to povidone-iodine and 53 patients (97 reconstructions) to triple-antibiotic solution. ADM integration was noted in 97% of breasts in each group. Integrated matrices appeared healthy, had no signs of foreign body reaction, and demonstrated punctate bleeding. Complications did not differ between the groups, including the rate of infections, seroma, and expander loss. CONCLUSION: Irrigation of the breast pocket and presoaking of the prosthesis and ADM with povidone-iodine appear to have no adverse consequences on clinical outcomes and did not impede matrix integration.