Surgical treatment of complex wounds: experience of plastic surgery in the “Hospital das Clínicas - FMUSP”

Abstract

Objective: To report the treatment of complex wounds by the division of Plastic Surgery, “Hospital das Clínicas, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo (HC-FMUSP). Method: Over a period of 4 years (2006-2009), it was performed a retrospective analysis of patients with complex wounds treated by Plastic Surgery at HC-FMUSP, through requests for consultation. Results: 1,569 patients were treated, with a mean of 32.7 consultations per month. The mean age was 45.9 years, predominantly male (62%). From 1,569 consultations, 899 were requested by the surgical specialties (57%) and 670 for clinical specialties (43%). The distribution by type of wound was: 533 pressure sores (34%), 471 traumatic wounds (30%), 235 complicated surgical wounds (15%), 157 necrotizing wounds (10%), 63 venous ulcers (4%), 62 wounds by vasculitis (4%), 31 diabetic wounds (2%) and 17 post-radiation wounds (1%). There were surgical treatment in 1,145 patients (73%) and non-surgical management in 424 cases (27%). In operated patients, there were 2,263 surgeries: 759 debridements with vacuum therapy (34%), 679 debridements (30%), 293 skin grafts (13%), 213 skin grafts with vacuum therapy (9%), 186 pedicle flaps (8%), 80 digital replantation (4%) and 53 free flaps (2%). Conclusion: Plastic Surgery has an important role in the treatment of complex wounds, by adopting an earlier surgical treatment to cure definitively these cases, reducing the healing time and hospital stay