Effects of negative pressure wound therapy on an axial congested rabbit skin flap model without any bare surface

One of the most important problems encountered in reconstructive surgery is partial or total flap loss, and venous congestion is the most common reason. It should be solved as early as possible. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) on an ideal congested rabbit skin flap model without any open wound. The current study included 28 female, adult, New Zealand albino rabbits. Animals were divided into four groups according to the duration of NPWT to be applied. An axial pattern ideal congested skin flap was designed on the posterior surface of the ear. After surgical intervention on the right ears, we applied NPWT treatment for 2, 4, 6 and 8 days. The left ears were followed without any treatment. Samples were taken for edema, congestion and neo-angiogenesis examination. There was no significant difference between the NPWT applied group and control group in the 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 8th days for edema and neo-angiogenesis and no differences in the 2nd, 6th, and 8th days for congestion. NPWT group had a higher flap survival rate than the control group but without a significant difference. This study used an ideal congested rabbit skin flap model imitating venous congestion. Our findings illustrate that NPWT treatment does not have a significant effect on the congested skin flap model we utilized where a closed system was created maintaining a skin barrier without a bare surface of the flap. Level of Evidence: Level I, experimental study.