Closed incision management with negative pressure wound therapy after forelimb amputation in a dog

Abstract

A four-year-old male castrated German shepherd dog was presented with severe left front leg lameness due to a fibrosarcoma lateral to the elbow. The ill-defined mass was not amendable to wide local excision and a curative-intent limb amputation was performed. Immediately postoperatively, closed incision management with negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) was applied to minimize the risk of postoperative complications. The incision line was covered with a PrevenaTM dressing attached to a NPWT pump set at a continuous negative pressure of -125 mmHg. The dressing was removed 72 hours later. No wound complications were evident and further healing was unremarkable.