Surgical débridement. The key to successful wound healing and reconstruction

No wound can heal in an orderly fashion unless it is clean, healthy, and free of infection. Débridement is key in achieving this goal providing that: (1) the wound is adequately vascularized, (2) the proper antibiotics are on board, and (3) all other medical aspects of the patient have been addressed. Surgical débridement is the quickest and most efficient way of getting the wound ready for healing. Exciting new products such as growth factor, hyperbaric oxygen, skin graft substitutes, and the V.A.C. can then be selectively applied to accelerate wound healing. For those wounds that require more than closure by secondary intention, plastic surgical techniques can then be used to provide a functional and effective wound closure.