title: Safety of negative-pressure wound therapy over ocular structures.
abstract: This is a report of the use, efficacy, and theoretic safety of negative-pressure wound therapy over ocular structures as a part of surgical treatment for necrotizing fasciitis. We treated a 65-year-old man with facial necrotizing fasciitis requiring serial debridement and closure of extensive periorbital and nasal wounds with skin grafts. Negative-pressure wound therapy was first used as a bridge to allow temporary closure and to encourage granulation tissue development. It was then used as a bolster dressing to stabilize skin grafts in the complex wound, not amenable to tie-over dressings. Excellent functional and cosmetic reconstruction of the periorbital and nasal regions was achieved. After treatment, the patient's corrected vision was 20/20. To our knowledge, the use of negative-pressure wound therapy directly over ocular structures has not been previously documented. In this case, it was safely used over the eyes with no sequelae to the patient's vision.
authors.affiliation: Mercy San Juan Medical Center, Carmichael, California, USA.
authors.forename: Roy A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Semlacher
authors.forename: Elise J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Liliya
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Golas
authors.forename: Kiersten R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Snyder
authors.forename: Berlin M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Semlacher
authors.forename: Joseph R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Martel
authors.forename: James B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Martel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003646:Debridement; D005148:Facial Dermatoses / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D019115:Fasciitis, Necrotizing / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D054843:Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D009916:Orbital Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing