The goal of this clinical trial is to compare the effect of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) versus traditional dressings on the incidence of transplant infection in adult patients undergoing split-thickness skin grafting (STSG) to the lower leg following excision of a skin tumour. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Does NPWT reduce the incidence of transplant infection within three months after STSG?
Does NPWT improve secondary outcomes such as graft take, reduce reoperations, complications, and resource use?
Researchers will compare patients treated with NPWT to patients treated with traditional dressings to see if NPWT results in lower infection rates and better clinical outcomes.
Participants will:
Undergo excision of a skin tumour on the lower leg followed by STSG.
Be randomized to receive either NPWT or traditional dressings applied over the graft.
Follow a structured postoperative care and mobilisation schedule.
Attend follow-up visits at day 5 and day 14 postoperatively and be monitored through medical record review up to three months after surgery.
Adults aged 18 years or older
Undergoing excision of a skin tumour on the lower leg with planned coverage using split-thickness skin grafting (STSG)
Eligible procedures include primary excision, secondary excision, or extended excision performed at the same site as a previous tumour surgery
Ability to provide written informed consent
Inability to follow postoperative instructions due to cognitive impairment, dementia, or significant language barriers
Inability to provide informed consent
Ongoing sepsis
Advanced heart failure