Management of Exposed Hardware with Fish Skin Graft

Introduction: Surgical wound dehiscence is a separation of wound edges due to a failure of proper healing that typically starts at 5 to 8 days following surgery. The causes of dehiscence can be due to ischemia, infection, increased pressure or friction, diabetes, malnutrition, smoking, and obesity (Rosen 2023).Methods:67 year old female presented to clinic for an elective first metatarsophalangeal joint arthrodesis with correction of second digit hammertoe. Patient presented to her first postoperative visit with blisters over the surgical incisions and wound dehiscence down to the hardware.Results:Patient underwent wound care and application of fish skin graft and was able to heal the wound within 3 monthsDiscussion: Wound dehiscence is a potential complication of surgery. It typically occurs a few days after surgery, when healing is still in the early stages. Separation of the wound can lead to severe complications such as infection of even amputation. Intervention to obtain soft tissue coverage over hardware is important in preventing unwanted complications.References: