It is an open wound resulting from prolonged pressure on the skin. They most often develop on skin that covers bony areas of the body, such as heals, hips and tailbone. The affected patients have temporary or permanent mobility problems which limit their ability to change position or spend much time at bed. The ulcers may extent to the underlying bone. Preventive nursing care is the cornerstone of their treatment.
Bed Sore – Decubitus Ulcer
What is it?
The procedure
While superficial clean ulcers can be treated conservatively, the deep infected ones that do not seem to improve over time must be surgically debrided and reconstructed. The infected bursa is excised and a rotational or advancement flap is used to cover the defect. In para- or tetra-plegic patients, a (non-functional) muscle is used to fill the cavity of the bed sore.
Anesthesia
General.
Recovery
Blood transfusion is often necessary intra- and post-operatively. The patients lay in prone position for 7 days with drains which are removed after 5-10 days. Sutures are removed after 14 days. It is of paramount importance to improve patients’ nutritional status, change positions regularly and keep them clean and dry, as any future revisional surgery has fewer reconstructive options.
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