Prophylactic Single-use Negative Pressure Dressing in Closed Surgical Wounds After Incisional Hernia Repair: A...

Area of Science:

• Surgery
• Wound healing
• Medical devices

Background:

• Single-use negative pressure wound therapy (sNPWT) dressings are known to prevent surgical site occurrences (SSOs) in closed surgical incisions.
• However, their efficacy in reducing SSOs after abdominal wall hernia repair has not been extensively studied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate if prophylactic application of a specific sNPWT dressing on closed surgical incisions after incisional hernia (IH) repair decreases the risk of SSOs and length of stay.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 146 patients with IH (W2 or W3) was conducted.
• Patients received either sNPWT (PICO) dressing or conventional dressing postoperatively.
• The primary endpoint was SSO development within 30 days; secondary endpoint was length of hospital stay.

Main Results:

• SSOs occurred significantly less in the sNPWT group (16.6%) compared to the control group (29.8%) (P < 0.042).
• Surgical site infections (SSI) were absent in the sNPWT group versus 8% in the control group (P < 0.002).
• No significant differences were noted for seroma, hematoma, wound dehiscence, or length of stay.

Conclusions:

• Prophylactic sNPWT PICO dressing significantly reduces the overall incidence of SSOs and SSI after incisional hernia repair.
• sNPWT is a beneficial prophylactic measure for closed surgical incisions in IH repair patients.