Outcomes of Vacuum-Assisted Closure versus Conventional Dressings in Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Author(s):

Piyush Ranjan*, Rishika and Saptarshi Mondal

Introduction: To compare the effectiveness of a Vacuum-Assisted Closure (VAC) dressing to that of conventional dressing in patients with diabetic foot ulcers. In view of this, the present study was planned to compare Vacuum Assisted Closure (VAC) and conventional dressing methods for diabetic foot ulcers in terms of the rate of granulation tissue formation, bacterial clearance at the end of therapy and duration of wound healing.

Materials and methods: This was a randomized comparative study conducted in the Department of General Surgery, Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, from January 21 to December 22.50 patients with lower limb diabetic ulcers were included; these patients were randomized into two groups. Conventional dressing was performed (n=31), and Vacuum Assisted Enclosure (VAC) dressing was used (n=19). Patient outcomes were compared after dressing. All the statistical analyses were performed with SPSS software, and a P-value<0.05 was used to indicate statistical significance.

Results: Compared to those in the conventional dressing group, the Vacuum Assisted Closure (VAC) dressing group was comparable in terms of age, sex and associated comorbidities (p-value>0.05); took less but comparable amounts of granulation tissue to appear (6.94 ± 2.61 vs. 9.03 ± 2.30, p value=0.29); took a signi icantly shorter duration for wound culture to be negative (11.36 ± 4.47 vs. 14.83 ± 3.89, p value=0.037); and took a significantly shorter duration for wound healing (36.84 ± 9.34 vs. 43.16 ± 9.22, p value=0.033).

Conclusion: Vacuum-Assisted Closure (VAC) dressing was advantageous over conventional dressing for the dressing of lower limb diabetic ulcers in terms of the time taken for the formation of granulation tissue, the time taken for wound culture to be negative and long-term follow-up, and the duration of wound healing. Vacuum Assisted Closure (VAC) dressing for chronic wounds or ulcers seems to be a promising option compared with conventional dressing, and the short-term results are good.