Negative Pressure System Aids Management of Surgical Incisions

A novel closed incision negative pressure therapy (ciNPT) device holds the surgical wound together and protects it from external infectious sources.

The Prevena Plus System is designed specifically for the management of surgical incisions that continue to be drained following sutured or stapled closure, such as those placed in laparotomy, panniculectomy, spinal fusion, revision hip, knee arthroplasty, and lower extremity trauma fracture. The system enables clinicians to manage linear, non-linear, and even intersecting incisions of up to 90cm in length, with just one adjustable dressing. A replaceable 150ml canister keeps exudates away from the incision site.


A foam bolster is used to provide NPT at -125mmHg for up to seven days, continuously removing fluid and infectious material from the site. Patented SensaT.R.A.C Technology monitors and maintains the pressure at the incision site. In addition, visual alarms and ionic silver within the interface layer are designed to reduce bacterial colonization in the fabric. The Prevena Plus System and SensaT.R.A.C technology are products of Acelity (San Antonio, TX, USA), and have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“At Acelity, our focus is always on improving patients’ lives and creating economic value by addressing post-operative complications that can affect recovery and create enormous cost burdens to the overall healthcare system,” said Joe Woody, president and CEO of Acelity. “The addition of the Prevena Plus Incision Management System provides clinicians with new options for surgical patients, backed by the Acelity technology and service they have come to trust.”

“Surgical site infections present a serious and costly challenge during post-operative recovery, with more than eight million people at risk each year in the U.S. alone,” said Devinder Singh, MD, of Anne Arundel Medical Center (Annapolis, MD, USA). “This risk is increased by factors such as anatomical location or incision length. The Prevena Plus Incision Management System provides an important tool for clinicians to provide negative pressure therapy to these more complex incisions.”

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are an important source, and may even be the most frequent healthcare-associated infection (HAI) after asymptomatic bacteriuria, representing a high burden on patients and hospitals in terms of morbidity, mortality, prolonged length of hospital stay, and additional costs. Each year, approximately 500,000 surgical patients develop SSIs.

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