Closed-incision negative-pressure wound therapy for patients after laparotomic surgery – our first experience

Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common surgical complications. In the literature, incidence rates of 15-25% for both colorectal and acute abdominal surgeries are reported, although some sources report a rate as high as 45%. Therefore, minimizing the incidence of SSIs is essential. One option is closed-incision negative-pressure wound therapy (ciNPWT), however, its use in high-risk patients after laparotomy is not standard practice in Slovakia. The aim of the study was to describe our first experience with applying ciNPWT to patients who underwent laparotomy. A group of 15 patients who received the ciNPWT system within 24 hours of surgery were evaluated. We applied ciNPWT to surgical wounds after laparotomy in both acutely operated patients with peritonitis, and in patients with planned surgery who exhibite destablished risk factors for surgical wound healing complications. For a comprehensive assessment of the results, in addition to local findings upon discharge, we also evaluated the course of subsequent outpatient care. We compared the results of patients in the study group with those of a control group of patients of equal size in whom ciNPWT was not applied. In the ciNPWT group, 87% of the surgical wounds healed with no complications, compared to only 47% in the control group. Our first experience with ciNPWT in patients who underwent laparotomy yielded favorable results. Therefore, we believe in the successful integration of this option for SSI prevention into everyday practice. However, larger sample sizes will be necessary in the future to validate its effectiveness.