The treatment of the sacral pressure sores in patients with spinal lesions

Sacral pressure sore treatment requires a multidisciplinary approach, the surgical procedures following nutritional and medical status rehabilitation, spasticity control and sepsis treatment. Serial surgical debridement might also precede flap coverage. Gluteal flaps design such as rotation, transposition or V-Y advancement is selected according to the shape and size of the sore. Our experience with 74 patients with 95 flaps includes 38 rotation flaps, 28 V-Y and 8 transposition flaps. Twenty one patients had bilateral gluteal V-Y flaps. Only 2 transposition flaps had marginal necrosis that healed per secundam. Delayed healing occurred in 12 cases due to sepsis, that healed spontaneously in 10 cases and required surgical reintervention for excision and flap reposition in 2. Prolonged bed immobilization, postoperative antibiotic therapy and late suture removal are important factors in surgical success.