title: Skin grafting of a chronic leg ulcer with combined Versajet-V.A.C. therapy.
abstract: A new method for surgical wound debridement is the Versajet hydrosurgery technique. This technique uses a high velocity jet of sterile saline with a speed up to 1,078 km/h (670 miles/h). By using the Venturi effect (fluid speeds up in a restriction, reducing its pressure and producing a partial vacuum), a simultaneous vacuum is created across the operating window of the handpiece. The application of this high velocity fluid jet to a chronic wound enables precise debridement without collateral tissue damage. The vacuum-assisted closure (V.A.C.) therapy is used for chronic wounds to induce faster wound healing. This system creates a vacuum-induced negative pressure to a specific wound area resulting in an accelerated formation of granulation tissue in the wound bed. We present a patient who experienced rapid wound healing when both of these techniques were combined to clean the wound. After split-thickness skin grafting, V.A.C. therapy was continued. The result was excellent graft acceptance with complete wound healing. This case is unique in that a combination of both therapies resulted in complete wound healing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Allergology, Center for Skin Diseases, Stuttgart Clinic, Germany. cstetter@kbc-intern.de
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stetter
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Plaza
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: von den Driesch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003646:Debridement / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006875:Hydrotherapy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D007871:Leg Ulcer / Q000601:surgery*; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome