A Randomised Controlled Study to Compare Surgical Site Complication Incidence in Subjects Receiving PICO or Standard Care Following Colorectal Surgery

Surgical Site Complications (SSC's) are responsible for increased morbidity in patients undergoing surgery resulting in prolonged length of stay in the hospital while increasing treatment and hospital costs dramatically. Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) use on closed incisions has been reported in the literature to reduce SSC's including Surgical Site Infections (SSI's), with many promising studies in general surgery, including some studies using single use NPWT. However, to date, there are very few randomised controlled trials (RCT's) using this intervention. When using PICOTM (NPWT) for this indication, patients may be discharged from hospital earlier, with the negative pressure incision management in place. This has implications in terms of cost savings for the health care system and enables the patient to be able to return to their normal daily routine more quickly. The hypothesis of this study is that PICO NPWT will reduce frequency of SSC's, in a 30 day follow up period, as compared to standard care in patients undergoing colorectal procedures.