EFFICIENCY ASPECTS OF USING THE VERSAJET SYSTEM IN THE TREATMENT OF DIABETIC FOOT ULCERS

Abstract

Relevance. Purulent-necrotic foot lesions in diabetes mellitus are common and often lead to amputation and disability. In chronic diabetic wounds, the regeneration process is impaired, and healing halts at the inflammatory or proliferative stage. Therefore, proper, timely, and effective wound management is a key component of treatment. Currently, the use of modern methods and technologies for wound-bed preparation helps reduce amputation rates. One such technology is the new VersaJet hydrosurgical system. In this context, a study was conducted to assess the clinical effectiveness of using the VersaJet system in the complex treatment of purulent-necrotic foot lesions in diabetic patients.
Objective. To evaluate the technical features and clinical efficacy of the VersaJet hydrosurgical system in patients with various forms of diabetic foot syndrome.
Material and Methods. In 2021-2023, a retrospective analysis of medical histories of 42 patients who received inpatient treatment at Almaty City Clinical Hospital No. 7 was conducted. The neuropathic form was detected in 18 patients (42.9%), the neurosemic form in 24 patients (57.1%). Type 1 diabetes was registered in 7 patients (16.7%), type 2 in 35 patients (83.3%). The average age of the patients was 56.2 years. The average wound area is 10 cm2, and the average duration of the disease is about 12 months. All 42 patients with diabetic foot syndrome underwent surgical wound treatment using the VersaJet system.
Results and Discussion. The VersaJet system enables rapid and selective debridement of the wound surface, particularly in situations where traditional mechanical or surgical methods increase the risk of tissue trauma. Even a single procedure yields better outcomes than classical techniques. Hydrosurgical debridement is effective only as part of comprehensive therapy (antibacterial treatment, edema reduction, offloading, etc.). Many patients experienced moderate pain requiring anesthesia. The main advantages of the method are minimal damage to healthy tissues, accelerated healing, and reduced hospital stay. These findings are consistent with studies by Luca Dalla Paola, L.P. Doronina, V.A. Mitish, and G.R. Galstyan, who reported that VersaJet decreases the healing time from 60 to 41 days, the number of surgical interventions from 4 to 2, and the operation duration from 7-8 hours to 3-4 hours.
Conclusion. Despite its high cost, the VersaJet hydrosurgical system is effective in treating chronic infected wounds in diabetic foot, promotes tissue preservation, reduces blood loss, and can be successfully used in purulent surgery, burn treatment, and plastic surgery.