Reconstruction of massive skin avulsion of the scrota and penis by combined application of dermal regeneration template(Pelnac) and split-thickness skin graft with vacuum-assisted closure: A case report

BACKGROUND Although skin avulsions to male external genitalia are rare, they can be both physically and psychologically traumatic. Thus, the necessity for judicious management poses significant challenges to surgeons in order to avoid potential permanent disabilities. We report a case of massive penoscrotal skin avulsion and a composite graft was creatively applied to cover the defect which achieved good results. We believe that this case is of great reference value for fellow surgeons.CASE SUMMARY A 52-year-old male presented with massive traumatic avulsion of the penile and scrotal skin following mishandling of an electric drill. The avulsed skin was missing. The patient was diagnosed with massive skin avulsion of external genitalia. Following initial complete debridement of devitalized or infected tissues, Pelnac dermal substitute was secured to the defect with the assistance of negative-pressure wound closure. In the final step, the silicone layer of Pelnac was removed and a split-thickness skin graft was applied. The defect had healed at the two-month follow-up. The patient now has normal erections and satisfactory sexual function.CONCLUSION Our experience with this wound repair demonstrated that the combination of a dermal regeneration template and a split-thickness skin graft with vacuumassisted closure is a safe, well-tolerated and efficient solution for the reconstruction of massive penoscrotal skin defects.

A Prospective, Within-Patient Controlled Study to Compare the Ability of the Non Adherent Drawtex®Hydroconductive Dressing to a Transparent Polyurethane Film Dressing (Standard of Care) on the Healing of Split-Thickness Skin Graft Donor Sites

Background: Dressing of split-thickness skin graft donor sites can be traumatic for the patient. The most advanced and expensive dressings have been compared to the most basic of dressings, with little or no consensus and an unpersuasive level of evidence. We aimed to determine the efficacy of the locally manufactured non-adherent, hydroconductive Drawtex? dressing and compare it to our current standard-of-care dressing, a thin transparent polyurethane film, in the healing of split-thickness donor sites. Methods: This prospective, within-patient controlled study included 27 adult participants, each with two split-thickness skin donor sites. The 54 donor site wounds were compared with regard to time to re-epithelialisation, perceived pain and healed wound quality. Results: By day 5, complete healing of donor site wounds, defined as >90% of epithelialized surface, was significantly higher in the hydroconductive dressing group compared to the polyurethane film group (22.2% and 3.7%, respectively;p < 0.0001). The hydroconductive dressing-treated donor site wounds were significantly less painful at 24-hours, 48-hours and 7-days post-operatively, and had fewer complications and superior wound healing quality. Conclusion: We have demonstrated that the relatively cheap and readily available dressing made locally in South Africa, Drawtex? is at least as safe, and potentially superior in wound healing, when compared to our current standard-of-care dressing.

Histologic analysis and long-term effect of acellular dermal matrix combined with autologous thin split-thickness skin graft

Objective To evaluate the long-term therapeutic effect and histologic result of ADM combined with autologous thin split-thickness skin graft.Methods 23 patients were treated with acellalar dermal matrix(ADM) combined with autoiogous

One-step approach for full-thickness skin defect reconstruction in rats using minced split-thickness skin grafts with Pelnac overlay

Background:Split-thickness skin grafting is the current gold standard for the treatment of traumatic skin loss.However,for patients with extensive burns,split-thickness skin grafting is limited by donor skin availability.Grafting split-thickness skin minced into micrografts increases the expansion ratio but may reduce wound repair quality.Dermal substitutes such as Pelnac can enhance the healing of full-thickness skin wounds,but their application currently requires two surgeries.The present study investigated whether it is possible to repair full-thickness skin defects and improve wound healing quality in a single surgery using Pelnac as an overlay of minced split-thickness skin grafts in a rat model.Methods:A full-thickness skin defect model was established using male Sprague-Dawley rats of 10 weeks old.The animals were randomly divided into control and experimental groups in which Vaseline gauze and Pelnac,respectively,were overlaid on minced split-thickness skin grafts to repair the defects.Wound healing rate and quality were compared between the two groups.For better illustration of the quality of wound healing,some results were compared with those obtained for normal skin of rats.Results:We found that using Pelnac as an overlay for minced split-thickness skin grafts accelerated wound closure and stimulated cell proliferation and tissue angiogenesis.In addition,this approach enhanced collagen synthesis and increased the formation of basement membrane and dermis as well as the expression of growth factors related to wound healing while reducing scar formation.Conclusions:Using minced split-thickness skin grafts overlaid with Pelnac enables the reconstruction of fullthickness skin defects in a single step and can increase the healing rate while improving the quality of wound healing.

Prospective randomised controlled trial of Algisite^(TM) M, Cuticerin^(TM), and Sorbact■ as donor site dressings in paediatric split-thickness skin grafts

Background:This is a parallel three-arm prospective randomised controlled trial (RCT) comparing Algisite?M, Cuticerin?, and Sorbact? as donor site dressings in paediatric split-thickness skin grafts (STSG). All three were in current use within the Pegg Leditschke Children's Burn centre (PLCBC), the largest paediatric burns centre in Queensland, Australia. Our objective was to find the best performing dressing, following on from previous trials designed to rationalise dressings for the burn wound itself. Methods:All children for STSG, with thigh donor sites, were considered for enrolment in the trial. Primary outcome measures were days to re-epithelialisation, and pain. Secondary measures were cost, itch, and scarring at 3 and 6 months. Patients and parents were blinded to group assignment. Blinding of assessors was possible with the dressing in situ, with partial blinding following first dressing change. Blinded photographic assessments of re-epithelialisation were used. Scar assessment was blinded. Covariates for analysis were sex, age, and graft thickness (as measured from a central biopsy). Results:There were 101 patients randomised to the Algisite?M (33), Cuticerin?(32), and Sorbact? (36) arms between April 2015 and July 2016. All were analysed for time to re-epithelialisation. Pain scores were not available for all time points in all patients. There were no significant differences between the three arms regarding pain, or time to re-epithelialisation. There were no significant differences for the secondary outcomes of itch, scarring, or cost. Regression analyses demonstrated faster re-epithelialisation in younger patients and decreased donor site scarring at 3 and 6 months with thinner STSG. There were no adverse effects noted. Conclusions:There are no data supporting a preference for one trial dressing over the others, in donor site wounds (DSW) in children. Thinner skin grafts lead to less donor site scarring in children. Younger patients have faster donor site wound healing. Trial registration:Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trials Register (ACTRN12614000380695). Royal Children's Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC/14/QRCH/36). University of Queensland Medical Research Ethics Committee (#2014000447).

Strategies and challenges in the treatment of chronic venous leg ulcers

Evaluating patients with chronic venous leg ulcers(CVLUs)is essential to find the underlying etiology.The basic tenets in managing CVLUs are to remove the etiological causes,to address systemic and metabolic conditions,to examine the ulcers and artery pulses,and to control wound infection with debridement and eliminating excessive pressure on the wound.The first-line treatments of CVLUs remain wound care,debridement,bed rest with leg elevation,and compression.Evidence to support the efficacy of silver-based dressings in healing CVLUs is unavailable.Hydrogen peroxide is harmful to the growth of granulation tissue in the wound.Surgery options include a high ligation with or without stripping or ablation of the GSVs depending on venous reflux or insufficiency.Yet,not all CVLUs are candidates for surgical treatment because of comorbidities.When standard care of wound for 4 wk failed to heal CVLUs effectively,use of advanced wound care should be considered based on the available evidence.Negative pressure wound therapy facilitates granulation tissue development,thereby helping closure of CVLUs.Autologous split-thickness skin grafting is still the gold standard approach to close huge CVLUs.Hair punch graft appears to have a better result than traditional hairless punch graft for CVLUs.Application of adipose tissue or placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells is a promising therapy for wound healing.Autologous platelet-rich plasma provides an alternative strategy for surgery for safe and natural healing of the ulcer.The confirmative efficacy of current advanced ulcer therapies needs more robust evidence.

The Utility of the Galea in Scalp Reconstruction

Total scalp avulsion is a time-sensitive, catastrophic injury requiring quick, complex decision-making. Traditionally, these injuries were treated with split-thickness skin grafts. With advancements in microsurgery, treatments evolved to scalp replantation, becoming the standard of care in scalp reconstruction. Although the integrity of the scalp’s blood vessels is pivotal for successful replantation, the authors believe that scalp replantation should be considered at all costs. In the presented case, a 54-year-old female presented to the emergency room following an incident with an auger that completely avulsed her scalp. She was taken back to the operating room, where scalp replantation was performed. Following replantation, scalp necrosis led to serial debridings in the operating room, and eventually, all of the scalp was debrided down to healthy tissue. Surprisingly, the galea survived despite this, which provided a healthy base for skin grafts. Before definitive coverage was placed, it was decided to utilize a bilaminar acellular dermal matrix along with negative pressure wound therapy to create a more robust bed of granulation tissue. After three weeks of this treatment plan, the patient returned to the operating room, where a healthy, viable bed of granulating tissue was revealed beneath the dermal matrix. Split-thickness skin grafts were taken from her thighs bilaterally and sewn together in a quilt-like fashion to cover the wound bed. The entirety of the graft healed without complication except for one small area that required full-thickness skin grafting in an outpatient setting. Even though the replantation ultimately failed, it allowed the galea to survive, which saved the patient from undergoing a free tissue transfer and allowed her scalp to be reconstructed with split-thickness skin grafts. Even in the setting of polytrauma, the authors hope that anyone treating a scalp avulsion would consider scalp replantation at all costs.

Systematic literature review of topical local anaesthesia or analgesia to donor site wounds

Background:Topical local analgesic and anaesthetic agents have been used both pre-and imme-diately post-harvest on split-thickness skin graft(STSG)donor site wounds(DSW).There is no systematic review of their effectiveness in providing post-harvest analgesia,or of the possible toxic effects of systemic absorption.This study is designed to address the question of which agent,if any,is favoured over the others and whether there are any safety data regarding their use.Methods:Systematic literature review of randomised controlled trials of topical agents applied to STSG DSWs,with a view to providing analgesia.Studies identified via search of Cochrane and EBSCO databases.No restrictions on language or publication year.Primary outcomes:pain at the time of(awake)STSG,and post-harvest pain(up to first dressing change).Secondary outcome was serum medication levels relative to published data on toxic doses.Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool utilised in assessment of included studies.At least 2 reviewers screened and reviewed included studies.A narrative review is presented.Results:There were 11 studies meeting inclusion criteria.Overall methodological quality and patient numbers were low.Topical eutectic mixture of lidocaine and prilocaine pre-harvest affords good local anaesthesia in awake STSG harvesting.Topical bupivacaine(5 studies)or lidocaine(1 study)gave significantly better post-harvest anaesthesia/analgesia than placebo.Topical morphine performs no better than placebo.Topical local anaesthetic agents at reported doses were all well below toxic serum levels.Conclusions:Topical local anaesthetics(lidocaine or bupivacaine)provide good analgesia,both during and after STSG harvest,at well below toxic serum levels,but there are no good data determining the best local anaesthetic agent to use.There is no evidence morphine performs better than placebo.

Skin and composite grafts

Skin grafts may be used for coverage of facial defects in situations in which alternative methods of reconstruction,such as local flaps,are not an option.They may also be beneficial for patients who wish to avoid or who are not good candidates for more complex reconstruction.Full-thickness skin grafts often have a better color and texture match to adjacent skin when compared to split-thickness grafts;however,split-thickness grafts have lower metabolic demand and increased survival rate.Composite grafts may be very useful in the repair of defects with unique contour and support requirements,such as the nasal ala and eyelid.With all grafts,thoughtful planning and sound surgical technique are critical in achieving the best possible functional and aesthetic result.