What Researchers Did
Researchers evaluated the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen treatment combined with split-thickness skin grafting in 27 patients with 36 chronic nonhealing leg ulcers.
What They Found
At 18 months follow-up, 50% (18) of the skin grafts showed complete take, while 41.7% (15) had partial take, and 8.3% (3) failed. This suggests that hyperbaric oxygen treatment is an effective adjunct for managing chronic leg ulcers, improving graft take and survival.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients suffering from chronic nonhealing leg ulcers might benefit from a treatment regimen combining hyperbaric oxygen therapy with skin grafting. This approach could potentially improve the success rate of skin grafts and promote better long-term healing for these difficult-to-treat wounds.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection as it was not conducted in Canada or by Canadian researchers.
Study Limitations
A limitation of this study is its relatively small sample size and the absence of a control group for comparison.