Negative pressure wound therapy helps heal large wounds
When you have a wound that is slow to heal or just won’t heal at all, it’s not only painful—it can cause additional health problems. Depending on the size and location of the wound, you may not be able to move your body the way you used to. If not treated properly, the wound can also become infected. Main Line Health offers comprehensive wound care for all types of wounds. One treatment option to help wounds heal more quickly and completely is negative pressure wound therapy.
Negative pressure wound therapy is especially helpful for healing large wounds, such as those that result from a major surgery. Other causes of wounds that may need negative pressure wound therapy include burns, pressure ulcers, injury or trauma.
How negative pressure wound therapy works
If your doctor recommends negative pressure wound therapy as part of your wound treatment plan, your wound care specialist will begin by applying a special dressing to the wound. The dressing will be made of gauze or a foam material and will fill the space on top of and around the open wound.
During negative pressure wound therapy, the dressing on your wound is attached to a negative pressure unit, which is a lot like a vacuum. The machine helps to pull the tissue around your wound up to the surface. This helps to stimulate blood circulation and encourages the tissue to heal on its own.
You may need to have negative pressure wound therapy several times each week in order to see the best results.
