Extended Tourniquet Times and the Impact on Wound Healing in Foot Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the effect of tourniquet time less than or in excess of 120 minutes on foot surgery wound healing.

NULL HYPOTHESIS: A tourniquet time of over 120 minutes will not affect wound healing in foot surgery.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND METHOD: A retrospective comparative cohort analysis was performed on 96 patients undergoing complex hindfoot surgery in a large central teaching hospital. Fifty-five patients receiving tourniquet pressure for >120 minutes and 41 receiving <120 minutes of tourniquet pressure were identified from electronic case records. The primary outcome was surgical wound healing. Secondary outcomes were discharge date and complication rate.

RESULTS: There was no significant difference in reported time for wounds to heal in the <120-minute or >120-minute cohort. There were no other significant differences in secondary clinical outcomes and no significant variations in patient demographics.

CONCLUSION: This study suggests that tourniquet times from 2 to 3 hours in foot and ankle surgery with pressures up to 300 mmHg are not associated with a significant effect on wound healing.