Abstract: Since, its introduction in 1990s, vacuum assisted closure (V.A.C.) has been known to reduce the wound healing time along with promotion of granulation tissue as compared to conventional dressing techniques. The therapy involves controlled application of negative pressure to the local wound environment using a sealed wound dressing connected to a vacuum pump. Recent introduction of the commercial products for vacuum dressings have added to enormous costs of these dressings. We at our limited resource setup, provided our patients with a very cheap alternative for the vacuum assisted dressings with the help of locally available materials. We hereby present few of the challenges that our patients posed to us in the course of vacuum assisted closure therapy and how they were handled in our setup with limited available resources.
Aims and Objectives: To provide a cheaper alternative to conventional expensive vacuum dressings with the help of locally available materials.
Materials and Methods: Patients with non-healing ulcers were selected as candidates for our v.a.c. dressings after ruling out malignancy and osteomyelitis. V.A.C. dressings were given using sterilised plastic leggings, condoms, food wraps, balloons with a Ryle’s tube / suction tubings inserted within and sealed using petroleum jelly with adhesive tapes. Negative pressure was created with the suction machine available in the wards.
Results: Accentuated healing of the wounds was noticed with a healthy granulation tissue compared to conventional dressing techniques. Conclusion: V.A.C. dressings coupled with supportive treatment in the form of antibiotics, correction of the comorbid conditions and dietary modifications can be helpful in managing even difficult to treat non healing ulcers.
Conflict of Interest: None to mention.
