title: Well-promising outcomes with vacuum-assisted closure in an infected wound following laparotomy: A case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) represents an alternative method to optimize conditions for wound healing. Delayed wound closure is a significant health problem, which is directly associated with pain and suffering from patient's aspect, as well with social and financial burden.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report a case of vacuum-assisted wound therapy with hypertonic solution distillation and continuous negative pressure application, in an infected wound after laparotomy for incisional hernia reconstruction with mesh placement. Negative pressure was initiated at the wound margins after failure of conventional treatment with great outcomes, achieving a total closure of the incision within two weeks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Each wound has particular characteristics which must be managed. Vacuum assisted closure (VAC) with continuous negative pressure and simultaneous wound instillation and cleanse can provide optimum results, reducing the cavity volume, by newly produced granulated tissue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The simultaneous use of instillation and constant pressure seemed to be superior in comparison with NPWT alone. Compared to conventional methods, the use of VAC ends to better outcomes, in cases of infected wounds following laparotomy.
authors: Department of General Surgery, University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete-Greece.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Daskalaki
authors: Department of General Surgery, University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete-Greece.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Xenaki
authors: Department of General Surgery, University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete-Greece.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Venianaki
authors: Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Greece.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Topalidou
authors: Department of General Surgery, University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete-Greece.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Athanasakis
authors: Department of General Surgery, University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete-Greece; Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Greece.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Chrysos
authors: Department of General Surgery, University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete-Greece; Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Greece.
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Chalkiadakis
keywords: Case report; GFS, GranuFoam Silver; Incisional hernia; Laparotomy; MDWT, Microdeformational Wound Therapy; NPWT, Negative Pressure Wound Therapy; Negative pressure; PVA, Polyvinyl Alcohol PVA; SWT, Subatmospheric Wound Therapy; TNP, Topical Negative Pressure therapy; VAC, Vacuum Assisted Closure; Vacuum-assisted closure