Salvage of infected tissue expanders using a new continuous irrigation method with intermittent aspiration

When tissue expander sites are infected, it often results in removal of the expander. To salvage the infected expander and achieve full expansion, we devised a new continuous irrigation method with intermittent aspiration. In this method, the continuous irrigation of the tissue expander pocket was performed without removal of the expander. Saline was continuously infused at 50 ml h(-1) via the IVH catheter and intermittent aspiration was done at 10 cm H(2)O negative pressure via the suction drainage tube for 3 min per hour until the infection was under control. We performed this method on two cases of infection of tissue expander sites and salvaged both expanders. After controlling the infection, reconstructions were successfully performed with enough skin expansion. In this method, the expander left in the pocket acts not only in maintaining the expanded pocket but also helps in irrigating the inner surface of the skin pocket. This method can perform effective irrigation with a relatively small amount of saline (1200 ml per day) and salvage the tissue expander.