Surgical site complications (SSCs), especially infections, have a significant impact on patient health and can cost the healthcare system billions of dollars. This article presents a potential remedy to this challenge, detailing the methods and results of an international multispecialty advisory panel convened to assess single use negative pressure wound therapy (sNPWT) used preemptively to help reduce SSCs.

The consensus panel agreed that sNPWT could mitigate SSC risk factors and supported its use as a prophylactic treatment for high-risk patients as well as patients at potential risk.

The article includes an in-depth review of the specific device used in the study: the lightweight, disposable PICO^TM System, which differs from conventional NPWT in that its unique mechanism of action allows it to be canister-free, making it discreet and portable for patient mobility and convenience.