Prophylactic Negative Pressure Wound Therapy for Cannula Sites of
Extracorporeal Biventricular Assist Devices
Abstract
We report wound management using a vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) system
for the cannula sites of long-term extracorporeal biventricular assist
devices (BiVADs). A 23-year old Chinese female patient with a diagnosis
of giant cell myocarditis needed extracorporeal BiVADs for more than 9
months. When the cannula sites appeared necrotic 3 months after BiVADs
placement, she underwent negative pressure wound therapy
prophylactically for four cannula sites, using a VAC system for 3
months, followed by no infections. Such prophylactic VAC therapy may be
useful to avoid cannula site infections, which is still a fatal adverse
event causing sepsis, especially in patients with extracorporeal BiVADs.