Treatment and therapy

The therapy of a Fournier Gangrene consists of several parts.It is important that the treatment is as fast as possible. Often too much time is lost through a doctor-patient conversation. How early a therapy is carried out depends strongly on the outcome of the disease.

A Fournier gangrene is treated with a broad-spectrum antibiotic. The reason is that at this time it is not yet known which bacteria caused the infection. Therefore an additional smear of the gangrene will be taken.

The next step is an immediate surgical “debridement”. This means that the already necrotic (dead) areas are removed generously, leaving only healthy tissue. At this point, the success of the therapy is usually decided, since complete ablation is often no longer possible due to anatomical conditions. If the debridement was successful, skin transplantation at intervals may be necessary. In any case, patients with Fourner’s gangrene should be monitored strictly and intensively.

What is the course?

After treatment in the form of surgical debridement and antibiotic administration, the patient continues to be closely monitored. The first step towards successful treatment is to prevent or treat any systemic inflammation (sepsis) that may be present. This can take up to several days and may require intensive medical care.

Complete ablation of the infectious and necrotic areas is also essential for a successful therapy. If a large loss of skin surface has occurred, a skin transplant may be necessary. However, this is performed at intervals.

This means that skin coverage would only be performed when the patient is stable again and physically fit for another operation and a successful transplantation is likely. Overall, the course of a Fournier gangrene can be very variable. Whether the treatment is successful or not is mainly determined by timely therapy and surgical procedures without complications. The presence of risk factors such as diabetes, a weakened immune system, alcohol, smoking and overweight can also have a negative effect on the course of the disease.