Moist wound dressing and its application in distant skin flap in cats.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Wound healing is a dynamic and complex process that requires an appropriate environment to promote healing process. The healing of distant flaps in cats is determined by vascularization, nutrient sufficiency for the cells, and stability of skin flaps. This study aims to evaluate the healing of distant flaps treated with moist wound dressing through subjective and objective observation in five cats with wounds in the forelimb and hindlimb area to determine the time to cut the skin flaps from the donor site. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, five Indonesian local cats with wounds of various sizes in the limb were brought to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. The sterile wound treatment included the administration of anesthesia, wound debridement, and distant flap closure in the thoracic and abdominal area. The distant flap and time to cut the skin flaps from the donor site were evaluated through subjective and objective examinations. RESULTS: The subjective observation on the color of the distant skin flaps showed redness and response to pain on day 3 after surgery, whereas the objective observation, which was based on drug absorption capability and drug effect showed good results. On day 7 after surgery, the skin flaps from the donor site were cut and showed good progress. CONCLUSION: Overall, moist dressing helps in stabilizing the distant flap, allowing the distant flaps from the donor site to be cut on day 7 after surgery.

Comparison Between the Digital Artery Perforator Flaps and the Distant Flaps within Hand

PURPOSE: The digital artery perforator flap was recently introduced and has been proven to be useful for reconstruction of various finger defects. Short operative time, less invasive surgery, and reliable flap circulation are the major advantages of this flap. The authors presented the clinical cases of the digital artery perforator flap and compared them with the distant flaps within a hand (thenar and hypothenar flaps) to reveal their differences. METHODS: From May of 2006 to February of 2009, the authors performed reconstructions of finger defects with the digital artery perforator flaps in 10 patients as with the distant flaps within hand in 9 patients (7 thenar and 2 hypothenar flaps). In these two groups of the patients, flap size, use of skin graft, length of stay in hospital, healing time, complications were reviewed retrospectively and compared with statistical analysis (Student's t-test). RESULTS: All flaps survived completely. The mean size of the perforator flap was 0.9 x 1.9 cm and the mean distant flap within a hand was 1.9 x 2.0 cm. The use of skin graft was reduced in the perforator group because the donor site of the flap was closed primarily. The hospitalization period and healing time also reduced significantly in the perforator group. Minor complications (partial flap loss) were noted in small percentages in both groups but resolved with conservative management. Mean follow-up period was about 6 weeks. CONCLUSION: The digital artery perforator flap was smaller than the distant flap but its reconstruction of finger defects was reliable and comparable to the conventional distant flaps within a hand. This flap would be not only an alternative method but very useful in the management of various finger defects, because of ease of operative technique, less invasive surgery, decreased need of skin graft, and shorter period of hospitalization and healing time.

Simple Molding Method for Post-distant Flap Stated Finger by Using Surgical Rubber Gloves

In both cosmetic and functional aspects, loss of digital pulp is a common problem. Compound or composite defects of the hand and fingers with exposed denuded tendon, bone, joint, or neurovascular structures may require flap coverage. Most often these lesions can be repaired by using simple local flap, neurovascular flap, thenar flap, and cross-finger flap. But microvascular reconstruction is sometimes needed for large defects. But Authors do not recommend these procedures in case of severe crushing injuries involving multiple finger pulp losses because they have possibility of damage of the vascular network and infection. So we applied distant flaps such as chest flaps, groin flaps, abdominal flaps and etc. And then we applied surgical rubber gloves for remodeling the flap after cutaneous healing. We have acquired satisfactory results, after the simple molding method for distant flap finger by using surgical rubber gloves treatment.