What Researchers Did
Researchers investigated the effectiveness of perioperative hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) combined with rectus abdominis myocutaneous (RAM) flap repair in four patients with extreme persistent perineal sinus (PPS) who had failed previous treatments.
What They Found
All four patients, who had experienced PPS for a median of 88.5 months and failed multiple prior surgeries (5 to >35), achieved complete healing. This healing was observed at a median follow-up of 2.5 months, with no further hospital admissions for PPS reported over a median follow-up of 35 months.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For Canadian patients suffering from extreme persistent perineal sinus after proctectomy, this combined therapy could offer a potential solution when conventional treatments have failed. It suggests that a multidisciplinary approach involving hyperbaric oxygen therapy and reconstructive surgery may lead to complete healing and improved quality of life.
Canadian Relevance
This study was not conducted in Canada and has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
A significant limitation of this study is the very small sample size of only four highly selected patients, limiting the generalizability of the findings.