ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is a well-known treatment modality for chronic, difficult, nonhealing wounds. Unfortunately, many commercially available negative-pressure therapy systems for wounds are expensive, require hospitalization, and may not be available throughout the world. The authors have designed a less expensive and effective NPWT system from components readily available in the hospital. DESIGN: The system is assembled from ethylene oxide sterilized polyurethane foam, transparent adhesive dressing, and a simple negative suction drain system, which is being routinely used in surgical cases. The multiple holes suction tube is inserted between 2 layers of polyurethane foam and is put on the wound, which is sealed by adhesive dressing. The negative pressure is created using a closed wound suction set. The dressing is changed every third day or as needed. MAIN RESULTS: The authors have used this system in 11 patients with diabetic foot. The mean time for preparation of wound for surgery with this system was 7 days (5-9 days). The raw areas were either secondarily closed or were covered with split-thickness skin graft. The mean hospital stay for debridement and definitive surgical procedure was 11 days (8-15 days). CONCLUSION: In the authors' experience, the NPWT system developed from off-the-shelf components reduces the length of hospital stays and therefore cost, without any compromise on quality. It leads to a quicker wound closure and reduces the need for multiple surgeries or flaps. This modification presents a simple, cheap, and effective alternative to commercially available NPWT machines.
