Abstract
Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is well established in surgical praxis in the last two decades. Using of this method in the head and neck region is always limited not only due its price, but also for difficulties in the anatomy of head and neck.
NPWT was used in three patients at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology and the head and neck surgery 1st Faculty of Medicine and Teaching hospital Motol during the first half of 2014. Two of these patients were after oncosurgical management and the last one was patient with uncompensated diabetes type 1 with extensive necrotic defect of the skin on the neck.In all cases, NPWT was used after failure of the standard conservative treatment.
Acceleration of granulation tissue formation was observed as well as epidermization from the edges of wound afterwards. Covering of the wound using the dermo-epidermoid flap was indicated in two cases.
No complications during the process of healing were observed, however we do not achieve complete recovery of wound in one case probably due to completed adjuvant radiotherapy. NPWT is beneficial modality in the management of complicated wounds in the head and neck region with the primary goal to stabilize wound environment and accelerating of the granulation tissue formation.
It is noninvasive method, which minimally burdens the patient and could avoid him from extensive surgical procedure. NPWT could be the effective treatment instrumentat the ENT departments if indicated, we believe.