Vacuum-assisted Closure for a Venous Stasis Ulcer

• Published in: Japanese Journal of Vascular Surgery Vol. 16; no. 7; pp. 803 - 807
• Main Authors: Katayama, Keijiro, Sueshiro, Masafumi, Kobayashi, Hironori
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: JAPANESE SOCIETY FOR VASCULAR SURGERY 25.12.2007
• Subjects: Vacuum-assisted closure (VAC); Varicose ulcer; Varicose vein
• ISSN: 0918-6778; 1881-767X
• DOI: 10.11401/jsvs.16.803

Venous stasis ulcer is a disease which is often encountered on medical examinations. It is difficult to treat and has a high rate of recurrence. We experienced a case which good wound healing was able to be obtained by using vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) for an intractable infected venous stasis ulcer. A 78-year-old obese female who had a history of primary varicose veins in her left lower limb complicated by a venous stasis ulcer. The ulcer was not covered by bandage and conventional gauze dressing for 1 year or more and it was accompanied with gangrene. Staphylococcus aureus and Morganella morganii ssp were detected from incubation of specimens of the wound. After having done surgical debridement of the sphacelus, we performed ligation to the sapheno-femoral junction and 2 lower perforating veins under local anesthesia. We started VAC for the ulcer from the past postoperative day (POD 1). Good granulation of the ulcer was accelerated on POD 10, and the reduction of the ulcer was recognized. Furthermore, the epithelization of the wound progressed on POD 20. She was discharged on POD 27 and the complete healing of the ulcer was at 2 months postoperatively. We were able to obtain the comparatively early healing of a venous stasis ulcer by using VAC. It was considered to be a useful method for venous stasis ulcer.