Laparotomy wound dehiscence: Experience with a tailor-made, skin-stretch device to control evisceration
18/09/13 | Assessment and diagnosis, Complex wounds, Research, Service delivery, Surgical wounds, Wellbeing and concordance | Chong Hin Moon, Ng Ka Chun, Wong Kwok Wa, Mok Pik Tim
Laparotomy wound dehiscence has high morbidity and mortality rates. Surgeons and
wound care nurses use different methods to facilitate wound healing with one of the
most common methods being primary closure. The authors present their experience
of using tailor-made, skin-stretch devices to manage laparotomy wound dehiscence
and control evisceration. The three cases reported in this article were chosen because
primary closure was not appropriate. All three achieved successful wound closure
within 14–15 weeks of implementation of the tailor-made, short-stretch device without
using another alternative closure methods. At 1-year follow-up, all had acceptable
scarring and incisional hernia was not identified. It was concluded that the tailor-made,
skin-stretch device was a cost-effective, highly versatile, reliable, and non-invasive
alternative in the management of laparotomy wound dehiscence and evisceration.