Continuous Tissue Expander Helps Close Wounds

A new continuous external tissue expander assists physicians in closing chronic and acute wounds.

The DermaClose RC continuous external tissue expander facilitates the closure of wounds up to 15 cm in diameter by automatically expanding the skin around the wound until it is stretched enough for suturing. In most instances, the wound is ready for suturing within 24 hours; smaller wounds may require as little as an hour. After sufficient tissue expansion has occurred, the wound is sutured closed with minimal tension on the wound. For removal, the tension line is cut, and the skin staples and anchors are removed. Each DermaClose RC kit includes a skin stapler and staple remover.

The system consists of 10 skin anchors and a tension controller that applies a constant, measured pulling force, thereby expanding the skin around the wound. A clutch mechanism prevents over-tightening. The skin anchors are placed around the wound and approximately 1.5 cm from the edge of the wound, and each anchor is secured with two standard skin staples. The tension line from the tension controller is threaded around the anchors. The physician turns the tension controller knob until the spring-clutch prevents further tightening.

The system provides an excellent match of skin color- and hair-bearing qualities compared to other closure techniques, and has been shown to significantly reduce the length of scars. The DermaClose RC is a product of Wound Care Technologies (Eden Prairie, MN, USA; www.woundcaretech.com).

"DermaClose RC represents a significant advancement in assisting physicians in closing chronic and acute wounds,” said Paul Anderson, president and CEO of Wound Care Technologies. "DermaClose RC can reduce the total cost of healing wounds, and decrease risks in treating large wounds by lessening the time to closure.”


Related Links:
Wound Care Technologies