Retrospective clinical evaluation of negative-pressure wound therapy for infection prevention following malignant pelvic bone tumor resection reconstruction

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) for infection prevention following pelvic reconstruction after malignant bone tumor resection. METHODS: The study involved 82 patients who underwent pelvic reconstruction following en-bloc resection of malignant bone tumors between January 2003 and January 2016. Forty patients were treated with NPWT via implantation of vacuum-sealing drainage (VSD) materials into the pelvic cavity to prevent infection and wound problems (VSD group), and the remaining 42 patients underwent conventional treatment (control group). Study authors compared the inpatient length of stay, antibiotic use, drainage volume, time to wound closure, and infection rates between groups. Investigators also conducted cell cultures of the wound cavity washing fluid and hematoxylin-eosin staining for VSD materials to find recurrent tumor cells. RESULTS: In the VSD group, one patient (2.5%) had a superficial wound problem. In the control group, 18 patients (42.9%) had deep infection or wound problems. The VSD group had a significantly decreased infection rate, duration of antibiotic administration and inpatient stay, as well as increased wound healing compared with the control group (P <.05). Further, no tumor cells were observed in the VSD material or the wound cavity washing fluid. CONCLUSIONS: The application of NPWT with VSD material may be an effective and reliable method for preventing infection in patients who undergo pelvic reconstruction following malignant tumor resection.