Presentation Description
Institution: Northern Beaches Hospital - NSW, Australia
Background: Subcutaneous haematomas in elderly patients with dermatoporosis and comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease pose a high risk of skin necrosis, infection and morbidity. Conventional management using surgical debridement followed by non-operatively wound care or skin grafting is often prolonged, resource-intensive or associated with high morbidity. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of the mesh protocol, a technique originally used for skin tears, as a novel, resource-efficient method for managing subcutaneous haematomas.
Methods: A retrospective case series was conducted at Northern Beaches Hospital (November 2023–October 2024) including six elderly patients (mean age 92 years) with lower limb subcutaneous haematomas who underwent haematoma evacuation and mesh protocol application. The protocol involved meshing of excised viable skin and grafting it back onto the wound bed after evacuation of haematoma under local or general anaesthetic. Outcomes assessed included graft take at first review (days 5–7) and complications.
Results: The time from injury to intervention ranged from 12 hours to 10 days. All six patients achieved 100% graft take with no incidence of graft failure, infection or need for further surgery. Procedures were predominantly performed at bedside under local anaesthetic and full healing was achieved in under three weeks in some cases.
Conclusions: The mesh protocol is a safe, effective, and cost-efficient technique for subcutaneous haematoma management. Early haematoma evacuation with preservation and meshing of viable skin may minimise morbidity and accelerate healing, representing a valuable alternative to traditional approaches.
Presenters
Authors
Authors
Dr Sina Sobhanmanesh - , Dr Sonia Nair - , Dr Richard Atkinson - , Dr Vincent Choi -
