New application of traditional S retractor in collecting wound flushing fluid after skin tumour resection

Abstract

After Skin tumour resection, there may be residual tumour cells on the wound surface, washing the wound surface with sterilized water can mediate tumour cell lysis and improve patient prognosis. We observed that when the patient is lying behind the operating table, both the limbs and trunk will form an inclined plane with a high centre and a low periphery. Fit the hook of the traditional S retractor onto the low end of the inclined surface, and apply appropriate pressure to make the fitting tight. This way, the flushing fluid will converge at the low end of the fitting surface and will not leak out. Combined with a negative pressure aspirator, it can reduce the splashing of flushing fluid. The traditional S retractor is common in the operating room, which is easy to operate and do not increase medical costs. The method of using a traditional S retractor to collect flushing fluid is worth further promotion.

1. INTRODUCTION

After skin tumour resection, there may be residual tumour cells on the wound surface, washing the wound surface with sterilized water can mediate tumour cell lysis and improve patient prognosis. ¹ Because skin tumours are usually located on the surface, it is inevitable that liquid splashes onto the operating table and ground during wound washing, which may increase the risk of infection and even cause the surgeon to slip. In traditional surgery, doctors often use a bowl or negative pressure aspirator to collect flushing fluid, which can only collect a small portion of the flushing fluid.

2. SOLUTION

We observed that when the patient is lying behind the operating table, both the limbs and trunk will form an inclined plane with a high centre and a low periphery. Fit the hook of the traditional S retractor onto the low end of the inclined surface and apply appropriate pressure to make the fitting tight. This way, the flushing fluid will converge at the low end of the fitting surface and will not leak out. Combined with a negative pressure aspirator, it can reduce the splashing of flushing fluid, as shown in Figure 1.

FIGURE 1.

After removing the metastatic lesions of malignant melanoma in the inguinal region, traditional S retractor and negative pressure aspirator were used to collect the flushing fluid.

3. DISCUSSION

The traditional S retractor is common in the operating room, which is easy to operate and does not increase medical costs. The method of using a traditional S retractor to collect flushing fluid is worth further promotion.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Liu Y, Zhao S, Liu X, Hu X. New application of traditional S retractor in collecting wound flushing fluid after skin tumour resection. Int Wound J. 2024;21(3):e14813. doi: 10.1111/iwj.14813

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

The data that supports the findings of this study are available in the supplementary material of this article.