Successful Treatment of Recalcitrant Remaining Postoperative Wounds by Dual-Frequency Ultrasound

Abstract

Background and Objectives The remaining wound problem that occurs after various operations, such as skin grafts, flap operations, and wound revision, is a problem for plastic surgeons. The remaining wounds tend to be slow in healing and often become chronic wounds, which sometimes leads to additional surgery. The principle of dual-frequency ultrasound is to activate fibroblasts in soft tissue and promote tissue regeneration and protein synthesis through a cavitation and microstreaming process. This study evaluated the effects of dual-frequency ultrasound on remaining wound healing Materials and Methods The retrospective study included eight patients who underwent various types of surgery and the application of dual-frequency ultrasound for remnant wounds. The number of treatments until the wound was completely epithelized according to the photographic findings and chart review were analyzed, and a four point subjective scale of satisfaction was used to analyze the level of satisfaction. Patients were treated daily for six minutes each day. Photographs were taken at each treatment session, and satisfaction surveys were conducted after all treatments were completed. Results An average of 6.3 days was needed for 50% epithelization of the patients' wounds and 14.3 days for complete epithelization. The average number of dual-frequency ultrasound treatments during the period was 10.7, and the patients were generally satisfied with the outcome of the wound after the dual-frequency ultrasound treatment. Conclusion Dual-frequency ultrasound can be a therapeutic tool to promote wound healing and prevent the remnant wound from becoming chronic. Dualfrequency ultrasound is safe, has few side effects, and is a useful tool to increase the completeness of the procedure.