Wound healing outcomes following treatment with synthetic hybrid-scale fiber matrix after resection of soft tissue tumors or infections.

Abstract

Background: Wide excision of soft tissue tumors or infections often results in large defects that can be challenging to manage. Advanced treatment modalities-including NPWT, skin grafts, and xenografts-can all be considered for post-resection wound management, but each has its limitations. An SHSFM, engineered to resemble human extracellular matrix, has demonstrated positive wound healing outcomes in prior studies.

Materials and methods: Adult patients at a single institution who underwent resection of soft tissue tumor or infected tissue followed by treatment with SHSFM from 2020-2023 were retrospectively reviewed.

Results: Ten patients were included in the review after meeting the inclusion criteria. Overall, 7 of 10 wounds had documented complete closure, with 3 lost to follow-up. Average time to wound closure was 119 days. Patients either healed via secondary intention or were bridged to a split-thickness skin graft. The average VSS score was 3.3 when assessed.

Conclusion: The current case series demonstrated that the SHSFM can support granulation tissue formation over exposed structures as a bridge to skin graft or can completely reepithelialize large wounds without skin grafting. The SHSFM offers a novel treatment option for post-resection surgical wounds.