The Use of Immersion Therapy Mattress With Low Air Loss in Patients With Myocutaneous Flaps.

BACKGROUND: In our hospital, air-fluidized therapy beds were used for all patients undergoing surgery for the creation of myocutaneous flaps. These beds were associated with staff injuries and patients reported dissatisfaction. The WOC nurses were asked to find an alternative support surface for postmyocutaneous flap patients.

CASES: We report findings from 5 patients placed on a low air loss immersion mattress after myocutaneous flap surgery. On week 2, per our hospital's clinical pathway, all were transferred to our critical access hospitals with the immersion therapy mattress. Upon discharge, all flap incisions were approximated and closed.

CONCLUSION: Our experiences with these 5 cases suggest that a support surface combining immersion and low air loss feature is a viable alternative to an air-fluidized bed for postoperative management of patient undergoing myocutaneous flap surgery for the management of full-thickness pressure injuries.