Prospective evaluation of a negative pressure dressing system in the management of the fibula free flap donor site: a comparative analysis.

Importance: The fibula free flap donor site has been associated with short-term donor site morbidity, most commonly delayed healing.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a negative pressure dressing (NPD) system in the management of fibula free flap donor sites that required skin graft closure.

Design: Cohort study comparing a prospective cohort whose donor sites were managed with the NPD system from June 2009 through March 2012 with a retrospective cohort whose donor sites were managed with a conventional pressure (bolster) dressing (CPD) from August 2006 through May 2009.