To explore the value of moist therapy for delayed wound healing in patients with liver diseases after surgery.

Clinical data of 54 patients undergoing surgical treatments with delayed wound healing in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from January 2011 to January 2014 were analyzed retrospectively. There were 45 males and 9 females with the age ranging from 24 to 70 years old and a median of 47 years old. All the patients were complicated with liver diseases. The informed consents of all patients were obtained and the ethical committee approval was received. Moist therapy was used in the dressing changing of the delayed healing wounds. After regional and overall assessment, appropriate cleaning solutions were chosen. According to the activity of wound basal lamina, location and patients' coagulation function, mechanical debridement, conservative sharp debridement or autolytic debridement were chosen. Microenvironment which benefited the wound healing was created through exudates management and wound sealing. Different wound dressings such as silver sulphadiazine impregnated hydrocolloid dressing (Urgotul SSD), sodium chloride impregnated dressing (Mesalt), calcium alginate dressing (Sorbalgon), hydrofiber dressing (Aquacel), silver-containing hydrofiber dressing (Aquacel Ag) were chosen and the wounds were dressed and fixed. The causes of delayed wound healing were explored and the wound healing were observed after giving moist therapy.

The causes of delayed wound healing included subcutaneous fat liquefaction (n=30), incision infection (n=16), subcutaneous hemotoma (n=8). After giving moist therapy for 5 to 21 d, the granulation proliferation of the wounds was observed well in 54 patients. Forty-two cases received second suture and the wounds in 12 cases were compressed and pulled up using 3M steri-strip. All the wounds healed completely with a cure rate of 100%.

Moist therapy can promote the proliferation of granulation tissues of patients with liver diseases and delayed wound healing after surgery, and provides favorable condition for the secondary healing.