Negative pressure temporary abdominal closure without continuous suction: a solution for damage control surgery in...

Area of Science:

• Surgical Innovation
• Trauma Surgery
• Wound Management

Background:

• Topical negative pressure (TNP) dressings are widely used for temporary abdominal closure (TAC).
• Current TNP methods typically require continuous suction for effective sealing.
• This creates challenges in resource-limited or far-forward surgical environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel method for temporary abdominal closure.
• To achieve negative pressure wound therapy benefits without continuous suction.
• To provide a practical solution for damage control surgery in austere settings.

Main Methods:

• Utilized readily available materials for application in a forward surgical environment.
• Developed a technique for TAC that maintains negative pressure after initial application.
• Avoided the need for specialized equipment or continuous suction devices.

Main Results:

• The described method successfully provides temporary abdominal closure.
• The technique achieves the benefits of negative pressure wound therapy.
• It does not require continuous suction after application, simplifying use.

Conclusions:

• This innovative TAC method offers a viable alternative to traditional TNP dressings.
• It is particularly suitable for damage control surgery in austere or far-forward settings.
• Potential applications include military and humanitarian surgical interventions with fragile supply chains.