A haemostatic technique using silicone gel dressing for burn surgery

Abstract Significant blood loss and high rates of transfusion remain ongoing concerns in burn surgery. We have reported a haemostatic technique using silicone gel dressing to minimise bleeding during tangential excision in burn surgery. The purpose of this study was to identify the efficacy of our novel haemostatic technique for burn surgery. This study was a retrospective observational study. From 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2015, we collated data including pre‐ and 24‐hour postoperative haemoglobin levels from patients over 15 years of age who underwent tangential excision for burn injuries. We also collected data on the amounts of measured blood loss, blood transfusions, excised areas, harvest areas and duration of surgeries. The collected data were divided into a conventional group and a silicone gel dressing group. Then, we analysed the differences between the two groups. During the study period, 357 patients were admitted to our burn centre, and 60 operations (44 patients) were performed by tangential excision. The conventional group comprised 28 operations (20 patients), and the silicone gel dressing group comprised 32 operations (26 patients). Excised areas and harvested areas were significantly larger in the silicone gel dressing group than in the conventional group. The amount of blood loss per percent excised and the number of units of blood transfused were significantly lower in the silicone gel dressing group. Duration of the surgeries was almost the same between the two groups. Application of our new technique during tangential excision for burn injuries resulted in a remarkable reduction in blood loss and transfusion requirements.