Clinical experience in using the water jet in burn wound debridement

Water jets have been used in many areas of surgery. Recently a new surgical debridement device was launched onto the market - VersajetTM. VersajetTM is a unique hydrosurgical device that uses a precise jet of water to simultaneously hold, cut, and remove devitalized or necrotic tissue. This paper describes our experience with ten patients comparing Weck knives with the newly designed hydrosurgical device when debriding burn wounds. The patients' age ranged from 27 to 60 yr (average, 37.8 yr) and the burn wounds treated were between 3 and 7% total body surface area, involving the face, abdomen, and limbs. The hydrosurgical system is a very useful tool for irregular and complex burn wound debridement. This paper represents the first written clinical experience utilizing hydrosurgery in the burn wound management in an Eastern country.