The purpose of this study is to compare outcomes between incisional negative-pressure wound vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy versus conventional dressings following abdominal surgery.
This study will prospectively compare rates of wound complications using incisional negative pressure wound therapy versus conventional dressings following abdominal reconstruction. Patients will undergo abdominal surgery (panniculectomy, abdominoplasty, ventral hernia repair, or autologous flap reconstruction using abdominal donor tissue). Following closure of the incision, patients will either have a gauze dressing placed over the incision (control group), or incisional vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy. The dressing will be removed over a time period of 2 to 5 days after surgery. The gauze dressing will be removed at 2 days and the wound VAC will be removed at 5 days. After this time, the wound will be assessed for signs of infection, seroma, hematoma, skin and fat necrosis, skin dehiscence, and hernia during the follow-up appointments.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Following closure of the incision, patients will either have a gauze dressing placed over the incision (control group), or incisional vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy. The dressing will be removed over a time period of 2 to 5 days after surgery. The gauze dressing will be removed at 2 days and the wound VAC will be removed at 5 days.
Following closure of the incision, patients will either have a gauze dressing placed over the incision (control group), or incisional vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy. The dressing will be removed over a time period of 2 to 5 days after surgery. The gauze dressing will be removed at 2 days and the wound VAC will be removed at 5 days.
Yale University, Section of Plastic Surgery
New Haven, Connecticut, United States
Post Operative Wound Complications
Post-operative wound complications (infection, seroma, hematoma, skin and fat necrosis, skin dehiscence, and hernia) will be assessed at 2 days for gauze patients and at 5 days for VAC patients. This outcome will be assessed based on the clinical examination by the surgeon following removal of the wound dressing. There is no defined assessment tool for this outcome as clinical observation is the standard in these procedures.
Time frame: Between 2 and 5 days following surgery
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