Outcomes of vacuum-assisted closure therapy in postoperative abdominal wound dehiscence: A study in a tertiary care unit

Background: Postoperative abdominal wound dehiscence is a significant complication of surgery that often leads to increased morbidity, extended hospital stays, and increased costs. Vacuum-assisted closure therapy is utilized for healing of various wounds by removing excess exudates, decreasing bacterial load, promoting granulation tissue, and keeping the wound moist. Materials and Methods: A prospective study was performed on 40 patients who underwent vacuum-assisted closure therapy for sheath dehiscence and 40 patients who were treated with normal saline irrigation postsurgery. They were assessed for outcomes such as wound healing time, need for a secondary intervention, infection control, and duration of hospital stay. Results: In the 40 patients who underwent vacuum-assisted closure therapy, healthy granulation tissue was achieved at a mean of 8 ± 3 days. The mean duration of hospital stay was 10 ± 4 days. Notably, 19 (47.5%) patients underwent secondary suturing at a mean time of 8 ± 3 days. During follow-up, 20 (43%) patients healed by secondary intention at a mean duration of 25 ± 5 days. The remaining five patients underwent skin grafting at a mean of 37 ± 7 days. Culture positivity of 80% and 92.5% was seen before treatment among patients with vacuum-assisted closure and normal saline treatment, respectively, which reduced to 7.5% and 47.5% after treatment. The wound size significantly decreased in terms of width ( P < 0.001) and depth ( P = 0.003), but no significance was noticed in length ( P = 0.373). Conclusions: Vacuum-assisted closure therapy is an effective treatment for postoperative abdominal wound dehiscence for controlling local sepsis, preventing septicemia, burst abdomen, and promotion of early granulation tissue, thereby enabling cutaneous cover.