Use of a Novel Silicone-Acrylic Drape with Negative Pressure Wound Therapy to Bolster Skin Grafts and Flaps

Traditionally, negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has utilized an adhesive acrylic drape to cover the foam dressing and create a seal. However, removal of this drape can be painful. A novel silicone-acrylic hybrid drape has been developed for use with NPWT to allow for repositioning upon initial placement and easier removal.

This three-patient case study reports on the use of the silicone-acrylic hybrid drape with NPWT as a bolster over skin grafts or flaps in fourwounds. Following wound closure with skin grafts or flaps, NPWT was applied as a bolster using the silicone-acrylic hybrid drape and negative pressure of -125 mmHg. A non-adherent protective layer was applied over the skin grafts before the NPWT dressing was applied.

Two males and one female received NPWT following the skin graft (n=3) or skin flap (n=1) procedure over four wounds (hand, right lower extremity, right calf, and right medial thigh). Common patient comorbidities included tobacco use, coronary heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, obesity, and diabetes. NPWT was used for a total of seven days. Patient pain was assessed after drape removal using the visual analog scale.

The patient reported pain averaged 1 (range 0–2) on a 10-point scale. All skin grafts and flaps showed complete take without any complications. Use of the silicone-acrylic hybrid drape with NPWT supported graft and flap take and resulted in little to no pain in these three patients.