Comparison of Vacuum Sealing Drainage and Traditional Therapy for Treatment of Diabetic Foot Ulcers: A Meta-Analysis

Vacuum sealing drainage (VSD) is a noninvasive adjunctive therapy to help patients with diabetic foot ulcers by reducing edema and promoting wound healing and formation of granulation tissue. Multiple databases were searched for relevant studies, and full-text articles comparing VSD and conventional therapy were reviewed. Meta-analyses were conducted with Review Manager 5.0 software to estimate the results of the selected articles. Forest plots, sensitivity analysis, and bias analysis were also performed on the included articles. In total, 10 studies satisfied the inclusion criteria and were selected in this study. The meta-analysis suggested that the duration of therapy, decrease of wound size, and efficacy rate showed statistically significant differences between the 2 groups (mean difference = -12.86; 95% confidence interval [CI] -12.86 to -8.52; p < .00001; mean difference = 8.71; 95% CI 3.25 to 14.17; p= .002; relative risk = 1.41; 95% CI 1.22 to 1.62; p < .00001, respectively) although the complication rate between the 2 groups was comparable (relative risk = 0.83; 95% CI 0.60 to 1.16; p = .28). Publication bias was not assessed because only a few articles were included. In conclusion, VSD is a more effective therapy and is associated with a greater decrease in wound size and shorter time to wound healing, compared to the conventional method. (C) 2018 by the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. All rights reserved.