title: Update on negative-pressure wound therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Over the last 15 years, negative-pressure wound therapy has become commonly used for treatment of a wide variety of complex wounds. There are now several systems marketed, and additional products will be available in the near future. Many clinicians have noted a dramatic response when negative-pressure wound therapy technology has been used, prompting a number of scientific investigations related to its mechanism of action and clinical trials determining its efficacy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The peer-reviewed literature within the past 5 years was reviewed, using an evidence-based approach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Negative-pressure wound therapy works through mechanisms that include fluid removal, drawing the wound together, microdeformation, and moist wound healing. Several randomized clinical trials support the use of negative-pressure wound therapy in certain wound types. Serious complications, including bleeding and infection, have recently been reported by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in a small number of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Negative-pressure wound therapy has dramatically changed the way complex wounds are treated. The rapid introduction of this technology has occurred faster than large-scale randomized controlled studies or registry studies have been conducted. Further clinical studies and basic science studies will help surgeons to better understand the evidence and use this technology in the future.
authors.affiliation: Boston, Mass. From the Division of Plastic Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School.
authors.forename: Dennis P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Orgill
authors.forename: Lauren R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Bayer
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D054843:Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy / Q000639:trends; D014945:Wound Healing; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*