Use of a novel hydrosurgery device in surgical debridement of difficult-to-heal wounds

Debridement is a fundamental step in the management of all chronic and acute cutaneous wounds. Versajet™ Hydrosurgery System (Smith & Nephew, Hull, UK) is a novel waterjet dissection device designed to surgically debride difficult wounds. The authors used this new system on a variety of difficult chronic and acute lesions of different etiology (eg, necrotic infected traumatic and chronic wounds, burns, and post-surgical wounds), which were then managed with adequate dressings or different wound closure techniques such as skin grafting, use of dermal substitutes, negative pressure wound therapy (V.A.C.®, KCI, San Antonio, Tex), or treatment by secondary intention.Debridement can be safely accomplished in a brief operating time with sufficient tissue selectivity and eclecticism. Satisfactory results often were obtained with a single operating session. After debridement, the quality of the wound bed was ideal for accelerating endogenous wound healing or maximizing the effectiveness of other therapeutic measures. The authors believe this hydrosurgery device (Versajet) is a selective, safe, and innovative tool for debridement that allows for better control, can reduce collateral damage, and subsequently achieve overall better outcomes than conventional debridement techniques.