Management of complex scalp defects after excision of malignant tumors

Introduction: Scalp reconstruction after cancer resection remains a challenge for surgeons, especially considering the increasing incidence of skin cancer among elderly patients. Dermal matrix (DM) is a heterogeneous group of wound covering materials that aid in wound closure and replace some of the skins functions, either temporarily or permanently. Patients at higher surgical risk can benefit from the use of DM, which help to generate a new dermis, offering great improvements in coverage of complex and extensive defects Methods: It is a retrospective study with analysis of medical records and report of two cases of patients at the A.C.Camargo Cancer Center-SP, Brazil. Results: We report two cases of complex and extensive scalp defects at a single center using DM associated with skin grafting and negative pressure therapy (NPT) in reconstructive surgery after resection of malignant skin neoplasm with satisfactory functional and esthetic results. Conclusions: Extensive lesions of the scalp are a challenge in clinical practice and a multidisciplinary treatment is essential. The results obtained indicate that DM associated with partial skin grafting and NPT have enormous potential to increase the therapeutic options available to the surgeon and possibly benefit patients, especially those who do not have the clinical conditions for extensive coverage surgery with microsurgical flap

Low-level laser therapy in the management of skin wound healing

Introduction: Tissue repair and skin wound healing are complex processes that involve a series of dynamic events, including coagulation, inflammation, granulation tissue formation, wound contraction and tissue remodeling. The need to care for patients with difficulties in wound healing is a growing challenge and requires innovative strategies. One approach that stands out in the treatment of these injuries is low-power laser therapy. This study aims to demonstrate the applicability and results of a low-power laser therapy protocol in the management of skin wound healing. Methods: This is a retrospective case review study reporting the use of laser in the treatment of skin wounds in a single center. Results: We evaluated the results of the implementation of this low-power laser therapy protocol and reported five cases of patients with skin wounds that did not improve with conventional treatment. The lesions were located in different places, with lesions on the trunk, upper limb and lower limb. The five cases showed a good response to laser therapy, evolving with wound healing in a short period of time, with an average healing time of 48 days. Conclusion: It is concluded that low power laser therapy when applied to skin wounds suggests a beneficial, promising action and has the potential to increase the therapeutic options available to the surgeon, however as we report a number of five cases, further studies are needed for check laser efficiency on wounds