Vacuum assisted closure in the treatment of crush injuries of foot

Objective: To study the outcome of Vacuum-assisted closure in the treatment of crush injuries of the foot using basic apparatus. Materials and Methods: Our study was conducted from June 2015 to June 2018, involving 30 patients with crush injuries of the foot. All patients were treated with debridement and negative pressure therapy. The apparatus included sponge, cotton gauze pieces, feeding tube, adhesive impermeable cover which was attached to the vacuum system in the OT. The dressing was changed after every 3 days till wound healing or skin grafting. All cases were followed up every monthly upto 4 months and then every two months upto 2 years. All cases started showing signs of healing from eight weeks onwards. Conclusion: Our study shows that VAC gives excellent results and improves the biology for healing. It is also an effective, reliable, safe and an easy procedure. Keywords: VAC (Vaccum Assisted Closure), NPWT (Normal Pressure Wound Therapy), STGS (Split Thickness Skin Graft), VAC machine.