Closed Incision Negative Pressure Therapy vs. Standard of Care for Surgical Incision Management in High-Risk Patients Following Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The goal of this study is to determine the efficacy of closed incision negative pressure therapy (CiNPT) for prevention of wound complications and return to the operating room for wound complications in patients with pre-determined risk factors that affect wound healing. This is will be a prospective, randomized, controlled trial. Subjects will be randomly assigned to either the ciNPT intervention group or the control group using computer-generated, randomized envelopes with equal numbers in each treatment arm. Both dressings will be applied under sterile conditions at the end of the DAA THA surgery, while still in the operating room, and then removed after 7 days.

Patients randomized to the control group will receive a conformable, water resistant, silver-impregnated, antimicrobial hydrofiber dressing (AQUACEL® Ag, Convatec) which is currently the standard of care at our institution for postoperative wound dressing. This dressing is left in place for 7 days and then removed by the patient or visiting nurse at home. Patients randomized to the study group will receive an incisional ciNPT device, which is currently being used selectively in high-risk patients at our institution (Prevena™, KCI). Both wound dressings are FDA-approved devices. Due to the obvious difference in appearance of the two dressings, neither patients nor treating surgeons can be blinded to treatment arm.

Wounds will be assessed postoperatively at regular intervals until wound healing is achieved. This will occur at least 2 and 6 weeks after surgery, which are standard intervals in our current postoperative protocol. No additional office visits will be needed for patients in the control or treatment arms. Photodocumentation of the wounds will occur at two and six weeks postoperatively.