Use of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy for Lower Limb Bypass Incisions

Objective: The use of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) for post-surgical cardiothoracic, orthopedic, plastic, and obstetric and gynecologic procedures has been described. However, there are no data regarding its use for lower limb bypass incisions. We aimed to investigate the outcomes of NPWT in preventing surgical site infection (SSI) in patients with lower limb arterial bypass incisions. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively used data of 42 patients who underwent lower limb arterial bypass with reversed great saphenous vein between March 2014 and June 2016 and compared conventional wound therapy and NPWT with regard to preventing SSI. Results: Twenty-eight (67%) patients underwent conventional wound therapy and 14 (33%) underwent NPWT. There were no statistical differences regarding patient characteristics and mean SSI risk scores between the two patient groups (13.7% for conventional wound therapy vs. 13.4% for NPWT; P=0.831). In the conventional group, nine instances of SSI (32%) and three (11%) of these required subsequent surgical wound debridement, whereas in the NPWT group, there was no SSI incidence (P=0.019). Secondary outcomes such as the length of hospital stay, 30-day readmission rate, and need for secondary vascular procedures were not statistically different between the two groups. Conclusion: The use of NPWT for lower limb arterial bypass incisions is superior to that of conventional wound therapy because it may prevent SSIs.