The Use of Vacuum‐Assisted Closure Therapy for the Treatment of Distal Extremity Wounds in 15 Dogs

Abstract

VAC therapy can be used as an ancillary treatment for distal extremity wounds in dogs before surgical repair as well as a method for securing skin grafts to the wound bed.

Current Concepts in Negative Pressure Wound Therapy

“…There are several reports describing the use of NPWT in individual cats, 7,8 horses, 9 and dogs, 10 as well as a few exotic animal species. [11][12][13] There are also a case series 14 and controlled experimental studies. 15,16 NPWT involves the use of a vacuum, or suction, applied to an open wound that has been covered with porous foam that is then covered by an adherent, occlusive sheet of plastic bandage material to achieve an airtight seal.…”

“…[5][6][7][8][9]15,45 NPWT is also used with skin grafts and flaps and is reported to result in improved graft take (the author's anecdotal experience supports this observation). 14,16 Other indications in human medicine that are used rarely in veterinary medicine thus far include NPWT for open abdomen management, 46-51 closed incisional management, 52-54 and installation NPWT (see later discussion). [55][56][57][58][59] These techniques may become more commonplace in veterinary medicine in the future.…”

Vacuum-Assisted Closure Combined with a Myocutaneous Flap in the Management of Osteomyelitis in a Dog

“…Over ten years ago, Fleischmann and Morykwas introduced the concept of applying negative pressure to wounds in order to promote rapid wound healing [7,8]. The VAC was quickly accepted as an efficacious treatment modality for wound management in human medicine and is recently being used with more frequency in veterinary medicine [12][13][14]. Indications for VAC therapy include acute, subacute, and chronic wounds, degloving injuries, reconstructive procedures, decubital ulcers, and burn wounds [7-9, 12, 15].…”

“…In veterinary medicine, continuous negative pressure of 125 mmHg is commonly used as it provides marked benefit to wound healing while minimizing patient discomfort [12,13]. In this patient, these standard settings were used initially to facilitate granulation tissue formation.…”

Nanocrystalline silver dressing and subatmospheric pressure therapy following neoadjuvant radiation therapy and surgical excision of a feline injection site sarcoma

“…14 Although not extensively used in veterinary patients SAPT is reported to be simple to use, well tolerated and cost-effective and is gaining in popularity. Its use in dogs and cats has been reported for treatment of extensive avulsion injuries to both the body 15,16 and extremities, 17 as well as urine-induced skin necrosis. 18 It has been described for management of wound dehiscence including infected sites 19 and, in combination with nanocrystalline silver dressings, for management of wound infection in a dog following an extensive burn injury.…”