Our experience with a "homemade" vacuum-assisted closure system
Avshalom Shalom1, Hadad Eran, Melvyn Westreich
1Department of Plastic Surgery, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin, Israel.
The Israel Medical Association Journal : IMAJ
|October 14, 2008
Summary
A novel, cost-effective negative-pressure wound therapy system was developed, offering comparable results to the expensive V.A.C. system. This homemade approach significantly reduces treatment costs for complex wound healing.
Area of Science:
- Wound Healing
- Medical Devices
- Health Economics
Background:
- Negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) accelerates wound healing.
- The commercially available V.A.C. system is effective but costly.
- Institutional budget constraints limited routine use of expensive NPWT devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a low-cost NPWT dressing.
- To achieve comparable effectiveness to existing systems.
- To provide a cost-effective alternative for wound closure.
Main Methods:
- A "homemade" NPWT system was designed and implemented.
- Fifteen patients with complex wounds were treated retrospectively.
- Cost analysis compared the homemade system with the V.A.C. system.
Main Results:
- The homemade system demonstrated comparable outcomes to the V.A.C. system.
- Minor complications were observed.
- Daily cost for a 10 cm2 wound was approximately $1, versus $22 for the V.A.C. system.
Conclusions:
- The homemade NPWT system is a cost-effective treatment option.
- It provides comparable results to the V.A.C. system for wound closure.
- This approach is suitable for hospitalized patients with complex wounds.
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