JID Innovations · Published 2026-02-17 · DOI 10.1016/j.xjidi.2026.100461
Hidradenitis suppurativa tunnels represent treatment-resistant disease compartment that perpetuates inflammation, microbial dysbiosis, and relapse. Surgical deroofing remains the standard intervention, yet optimal postoperative wound management strategies are lacking. Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a wireless bioelectric wound dressing compared with that of standard of care in modulating tunnel-associated microbiota and preventing surgical site recurrence after hidradenitis suppurativa deroofing. Methods: In this randomized, single-center, split-body trial, patients with bilateral Hurley stages II–III axillary disease underwent tunnel deroofing, with 1 side randomized to bioelectric wound dressing or standard of care (petrolatum and gauze dressing). Subjects (n = 12) were followed for 8 weeks to assess primary outcomes: healing rates. Secondary outcomes included disease recurrence at week 8, change in bacterial load, microbiome composition, and QOL. Results: Bioelectric wound dressing–treated sites showed a significant reduction in bacterial load at weeks 2 and 4 after excision, with enrichment of commensals and a shift away from anaerobic taxa, which were not observed in standard of care–treated sites. Minimal recurrences were observed on bioelectric wound dressing–treated sides alone compared with multiple recurrences on standard of care–treated sites, with trends of improved healing trajectories. Conclusions: Optimized wound care holds a potential to reduce surgical site recurrence and reverse hidradenitis suppurativa dysbiosis. Our data emphasize the importance of postsurgical care to improve outcomes in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa. This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov with NCT05057429. Study registration was submitted on September 15, 2021.
Abstract from DOAJ. Public domain (CC0 1.0).
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