Method Article

Combination Therapy of Vacuum Sealing Drainage and Counter-Current Irrigation for Refractory Perianal Wounds

DOI:

10.3791/69888

March 20th, 2026

In This Article

Summary

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This prospective clinical study evaluated the efficacy of closed negative-pressure antegrade irrigation and drainage (a vacuum-sealing drainage-based combination therapy) in the management of refractory perianal wounds. The primary goals were to improve wound drainage, alleviate postoperative pain, and accelerate healing time.

Abstract

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Perianal refractory wounds refer to long-term non-healing wounds of the skin and soft tissues surrounding the anus, often resulting from surgery or complications of chronic diseases. Current treatment mainly focuses on maintaining an open wound environment and allowing healing to follow its natural course. Due to the specific anatomical location, susceptibility to secondary infection, and the local wound environment, healing often requires more than 4 weeks. Vacuum-sealed drainage (VSD), combined with counter-current irrigation technology, has been widely adopted and demonstrated significant efficacy in specialties such as burn and plastic surgery, orthopedics, and general surgery. This non-invasive negative-pressure technology offers new approaches for treating refractory perianal wounds, promoting active intervention in the healing process, accelerating healing speed, improving healing quality, and reducing patient discomfort. This article describes the management and application details of this technology for refractory perianal wounds, including methods of outer-film application at different positions, differences in negative-pressure settings based on wound distance from the anal margin, and strategies to avoid secondary contamination. This methodology may facilitate broader clinical adoption of VSD for perianal refractory wounds and presents new therapeutic opportunities for managing such challenging non-healing wounds.

Introduction

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Refractory wounds are generally defined as those that fail to heal after more than four weeks of standardized treatment due to various external or internal factors1. The perianal region presents unique anatomical challenges, making postoperative wounds difficult to keep clean and dry. These conditions often perpetuate the inflammatory phase, leading to chronic low-grade inflammation and delayed healing2. Perianal refractory wounds are characterized by prolonged treatment cycles, high recurrence rates, significant healthcare costs, and considerable physical and psychological burdens for patients3. ....

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Protocol

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This study protocol was approved by the Ethics Review Committee of Nanjing Hospital of Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine (Approval No. KY2018039). All participants provided written informed consent prior to enrollment. Details of the materials used are mentioned in the Table of Materials.

1. Patient selection

  1. Inclusion criteria
    1. Diagnosis of a severe perianal or perineal wound, including high-complex anal fistula (suprasphincteric or extrasphincteric types per the Parks classification) or perineal necrotizing fasciitis.
    2. Absence of signifi....

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Results

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This clinical study evaluated closed negative pressure antegrade irrigation-drainage for refractory perianal wounds. Forty patients were randomized into an experimental group (NPWT, n = 20) and a control group (conventional care, n = 20).

Postoperative wound exudate volume
Postoperative drainage showed a clear improvement trend in the experimental group, with exudate volume significantly reduced from day 7 onward (Figure 1), indicating more ef.......

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Discussion

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This randomized controlled trial demonstrates that a combined regimen of VSD with countercurrent irrigation significantly accelerates healing, reduces wound exudate, and alleviates pain in patients with refractory perianal wounds compared to conventional dressing changes. The findings corroborate and extend the growing body of evidence supporting active management of the wound environment in complex surgical sites.

Our primary finding -- a reduction in median healing time by approximately 14 d.......

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Disclosures

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During the preparation of this manuscript, the authors used DeepSeek solely to check and improve grammar, spelling, and sentence clarity. The intellectual content, data analysis, and conclusions are the sole responsibility of the authors. The authors take full responsibility for the final content of the manuscript.

Acknowledgements

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Financial support for this study was provided by the Planning and Finance Department Project of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Grant No. GZY-GCS-2025-006). Additional support was received from the Jiangsu Provincial Center for T.C.M. Innovations and the Jiangsu Administration of Chinese Medicine.

....

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Materials

List of materials used in this article
NameCompanyCatalog NumberComments
Enclosed Injection-Suction Vacuum Circle IVC TechnologyGuangdong Meijie Weitong Biotechnology Co., Ltd.MJ-03cNone

References

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  1. Haalboom, M. Chronic wounds: innovations in diagnostics and therapeutics. Curr. Med. Chem. 25, 5772-5781 (2018).
  2. Horch, R. E., Ludolph, I., Arkudas, A. Reconstruction of oncological defects of the perianal region. Chirurg. 92, 1159-1170 (2021).
  3. Powers, J. G.,....

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Tags

Vacuum Sealing DrainageCounter Current IrrigationRefractory Perianal WoundsNegative Pressure TherapyWound HealingPerianal Wound ManagementNon Healing WoundsSecondary InfectionOuter Film ApplicationNegative Pressure Settings

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