Conventional bolster dressing versus Vacuum-Assisted Closure device for securing split-thickness skin graft in contoured wide raw area reconstruction: A randomized clinical trial.

Abstract

Background: Contour wounds that require skin graft closure are frequently situated in unique or complicated anatomical areas, making it difficult and inefficient to stabilize them using traditional bolsters. The aim of this work is to compare vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) with Conventional bolster dressing in terms of graft take, histology of wound healing, hospitalization duration, and expenses.Patients and methods: In the current study 62 patients were reconstructed using a split thickness skin graft and supported by a VAC (Group A n=31) or a traditional bolster dressing (Group B n=31). The following characteristics were assessed in both groups; operative time, hospital stay. Complications, graft take as well as histological assessment of the skin.Results: The mean age of the included patients in the current study was 42.3±9.34 and 41.1±8.92 in group A and B respectively. Post-operative complications showed statistically significant seroma and hematoma in patients who received conventional bolsters. The histopathological assessment showed that the Hyperkeratosis, pigmentation, neovascularization, collagen deposition and fibroblastic activity were more evident in patients who used VAC (P