High morbidity and multifocal disease are significant challenges to quality of life for patients with advanced hidradenitis suppurativa. In an effort to outline a treatment plan that addresses these concerns, Joshua Dickerson, MD, and Abigail E. Chaffin MD, FACS, CWSP, MAPWCA, have prepared a poster to be presented at the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC) Fall encompassing 3 case series of patients successfully treated with a multidisciplinary, coordinated treatment algorithm for surgery using a staged approach.

In a retrospective review, the authors identified 3 patients who presented to an academic hospital with Hurley Grade 3 hidradenitis suppurativa between September 2023 and April 2024. Each patient was managed with an integrated, multidisciplinary approach, which included multistage surgical repair and postoperative wound care in dedicated clinics, where outcomes were assessed based on disease recurrence and wound site healing.

Patients underwent between 2 and 5 reconstructive surgeries over the course of 5 to 10 months, with 2 of these patients requiring salvage split-thickness skin grafting and each of the 3 admitted to the hospital at least once. Follow-up care included weekly or biweekly visits, either in person or via telehealth, and all patients were disease free while continuing multidisciplinary follow-up care as of the writing of this poster.

This case series highlights the importance of interdisciplinary care from wound specialists along with appropriately timed staged surgical intervention. Authors aimed to help delineate the complex problem of advanced hidradenitis suppurativa and define appropriate multidisciplinary protocols to coordinate long-term care, underscoring the potential for effective management with basic plastic reconstructive principles. By utilizing a multidisciplinary team and a staged approach, authors argue that the chances of successful advanced hidradenitis surgical management improve. Moreover, this care algorithm reduced the burden of disease and thus improved quality of life for these patients.

Reference

Dickerson J, Chaffin AE. Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Team Based Approach. Poster presented at the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC) Fall, October. 2–5, 2024.