Strategic Advancements in Wound Therapy: Evidence-Based Pathways

Overview:

Challenging wounds are among the most common—and most demanding—cases in veterinary practice. From degloving injuries and burns to chronic non-healing and oncologic wounds, successful outcomes require more than basic bandaging skills. They demand strategic decision-making grounded in anatomy, physiology, and surgical principles. In this case-based session, Dr. Justin Ganjei, DACVS-SA, walks attendees through real-world examples that highlight the clinical reasoning behind effective wound management. Participants will revisit the critical role of skin anatomy and vascular supply, review the phases of wound healing and how they guide timing of intervention, and explore how wound classification directly influences treatment strategy. The session will move step-by-step through immediate management—stabilization, lavage, debridement, and temporary protection— before advancing to definitive closure options including primary and delayed closure, second intention healing, flaps, grafts, and adjunctive therapies such as negative pressure wound therapy and biologic dressings. Attendees will leave with a practical, structured approach to evaluating and managing complex wounds while balancing patient factors, owner expectations, and available resources to optimize functional and cosmetic outcomes.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the relevant layers of skin anatomy and vascular supply and their influence on wound healing and surgical planning.
• Explain the inflammatory, proliferative, and remodeling phases of wound healing and how these phases guide timing of intervention.
• Classify wounds based on contamination level, duration, and tissue viability to determine prognosis and management strategy.
• Apply evidence-based principles of immediate wound management, including stabilization, hemorrhage control, lavage, debridement, and temporary bandaging.
• Differentiate between primary closure, delayed primary closure, secondary closure, second intention healing, and reconstructive techniques (flaps and grafts) when formulating treatment plans.
•  Evaluate the appropriate use of adjunctive therapies, including negative pressure wound therapy, antimicrobial dressings, and biologic products, in complex wound cases.
•  Develop an individualized wound management plan that integrates patient stability, wound characteristics, owner considerations, and available resources to optimize clinical outcomes.