title: Immediate debridement of road rash injuries with Versajet® hydrosurgery: traumatic tattoo prevention?
abstract: Traumatic tattoos can result from accidental deposition of foreign particles in the dermis. These pigmented particles become permanently lodged in the dermis after re-epithelialization of the wound and can give rise to irregular black or blue discoloration of the skin. Different methods for tattoo removal exist. The best strategy is to prevent traumatic tattooing by immediate removal of the foreign bodies before the healing process has begun. We present a fine-tuned debridement method to selectively debride the wound and preserve as much viable tissue as possible.
  
  
  METHODS
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authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Herestraat 45, 3000, Louvain, Belgium, ina.vrints@uzleuven.be.
authors.forename: Ina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vrints
authors.forename: Margot
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Den Hondt
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van Brussel
authors.forename: Lloyd
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nanhekhan
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000293:Adolescent; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003646:Debridement / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D062109:Dermatologic Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D020405:Dermis / Q000293:injuries*; D005076:Exanthema / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D010316:Particle Size; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012867:Skin / Q000293:injuries; D013653:Tattooing; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology