The Use of Prophylactic Negative Wound Therapy in Emergency and Elective Laparotomy Wounds

In the era of enhanced recovery, improving modifiable peri-operative and post-operative factors is essential to better patient outcomes. Surgical site complications in the form of wound infections are a major burden to the healthcare system. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) as delivered by a surgical incision management system (SIMS) is a novel approach to improve wound healing when applied to closed incisions.

However, data is limited in its application to laparotomy incisions in the acute and elective care surgery setting. Surgical site infections can complicate a patient's post-operative course significantly, often necessitating a longer length of stay, antibiotic therapy, intervention for wound collections and impair patient mobility and overall recovery.

In addition to this, laparotomy wound complications can possibly delay adjuvant therapy and also increases healthcare costs both as an inpatient and in the community. Despite significant measures to reduce such complications in the form of wound care bundles, changing of gloves prior to wound closure etc, surgical site complications continue to represent a huge healthcare burden.

Aim;

1. To determine if prophylactic negative pressure wound therapy confers a lower rate of Superficial Site Infection or reduces wound complications in Emergency or Elective Laparotomy wounds thereby improving post-operative patient recovery and reducing healthcare costs.