Negative-pressure wound therapy enhances wound healing and helps with delayed or impaired wound healing. Treatment involves a special dressing placed in the wound or over a graft or flap and a pump that creates negative pressure within the wound bed. The negative-pressure device removes excess wound fluids that may cause maceration or delayed healing and stimulates the growth of healthy granulation tissue. Negative pressure also increases local blood flow, reduces edema, and draws the wound edges together. (See Understanding negative-pressure wound therapy.)

Negative-pressure wound therapy is indicated for acute and traumatic wounds, pressure ulcers, and chronic open wounds, such as diabetic ulcers, meshed grafts, and skin flaps.¹ It’s contraindicated for fistulas that involve organs or body cavities, necrotic tissue with eschar, untreated osteomyelitis, malignant wounds, and wounds with exposed arteries and veins. This therapy should be used cautiously in patients with active bleeding, in those taking anticoagulants, and in those in whom achieving wound hemostasis has been difficult.