Pressure sore reconstruction
Pressure loss is the tissue loss that may present at any body surface as a result of continuous outer pressure from a hard material or of continuous inner pressure from a bone. Patients that develop pressure sores are usually of old age, who are immobilized on a bed in hospital, in an old people’s home, at home, or on a wheel chair. There are also many other factors that contribute on a pressure sore development such as hemiplegia, quadriplegia, mental retardation combined with mobility issues, anorexia and multiple nutrition disorders.
Pressure sores are categorized according to their size, severity, depth that they extend and necrosis of muscles, tendons, bones and joints.
Pressure sore reconstruction demand prolonged hospital stay. Prevention is very important and requires physiotherapy, special mattresses, educated nursing staff, targeted nutrition, intensive skin care and often surgical excisions.
Plastic surgeons reconstruct deep and extended pressure sores with specially designed surgical flaps of muscle and subcutaneous tissue that are transferred from nearby healthy regions.
The plastic surgeon will coordinate the team of doctors and therapist specialists that are involved in pressure sore treatment will choose the appropriate time and method of reconstruction and will decide on the number of surgical excisions of necrotized tissues before final closure.
Pressure sore reconstructions are procedures that demand persistence and patience from the patient and the relatives.
