A COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN CUSTOM MADE VACUUM ASSISTED CLOSURE AND CONVENTIONAL DRESSING IN WOUND MANAGEMENT

Introduction: Chronic wounds,such as diabetic foot ulcers,vascular ulcers,and pressure ulcers,are prevalent surgical challenges.These wounds often persist for over three months without healing,particularly among elderly patients and those with comorbid conditions like diabetes and vascular diseases.The need for innovative treatments to manage these chronic wounds effectively is critical. Objectives: This study compares the efficacy of custom vacuum-assisted closure (V.A.C.) dressings with conventional dressings in treating chronic ulcers. The parameters evaluated include hospital stay duration, treatment costs, patient comfort, cosmetic outcomes of granulation tissue, and the rate of surgical site infections. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted at Dr K.N.S. Memorial Institute of Medical Sciences in the general surgery department. The study involved 90 patients: 45 patients undergoing the custom V.A.C. dressings group and the other 45 patients in the conventional dressings group.The comparative analysis focused on hospital stay duration, cost-effectiveness,patient satisfaction, the appearance of granulation tissue, and surgical site infection rates. Result: For patients treated with custom V.A.C.dressings,the mean duration of hospital stay was 29.91± 13.20,and in the conventional dressing group,it was 53.46 ± 17.26 days.The mean percentage of ulcer area reduction in the Custom V.A.C. Dressing Group was 83.56 ± 16.88% For.The custom V.A.C.dressings also proved more cost-effective, requiring fewer dressing changes and less Hospital stay. Using the pain VAS scale,patient satisfaction was higher in the V.A.C.group (40 patients were very satisfied compared to the conventional dressing group; 36 patients were not satisfied). During the study, three patients got infected in a costume-made V.A.C. dressing group, and 11 were infected in the conventional dressing group. Conclusion: The findings suggest that custom V.A.C. dressings are a more effective and efficient alternative to conventional dressings for managing chronic ulcers.They offer enhanced healing rates, lower total cost due to the reduced frequency of dressing and shorter hospital stays, and improved patient satisfaction, reducing the incidence of S.S.I. The custom-made V.A.C. group had significantly fewer hospital stays, a higher percentage of ulcer area reduction,and a higher success rate of healing than the conventional dressing group.