Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy for a Replanted Finger with Complicated Wound

• Published in: Journal of Wound Management and Research Vol. 17; no. 1; pp. 62 - 66
• Main Authors: Roh, Si Young, Park, Ilou, Lee, Kyung Jin, Koh, Sung Hoon, Kim, Jin Soo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 대한창상학회 01.02.2021
• Subjects: 의학일반
• ISSN: 2586-0402; 2586-0410
• DOI: 10.22467/jwmr.2020.01333

Negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is widely used for open wounds in various anatomical sites. Extensive research has been carried out on the application of NPWT; exposed blood vessels in the periwound area are a known contraindication to NPWT. In this study, we report a case where a replanted finger with not only exposed vessels but also uncontrolled infection was treated with NPWT. A 60-year-old man visited our emergency department with incomplete amputation of his left index and middle fingers. After replantation of his two fingers, necrosis of the middle finger with severe methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection complicated managing the wound. After 3 weeks of maintaining conventional wound dressings, we performed NPWT for successful granulation tissue formation and infection control. After the treatment, the wound was completely covered by a split-thickness skin graft. We thus suggest that NPWT can be an effective reconstructive method, including for intractable wounds with exposed pedicle and severe infection after replantation.