[Single-use negative pressure therapy for prevention of wound healing disorders for primarily closed incisions : International consensus and practical recommendations for Germany].

Authors

Thomas Karl, Süreyya Murat Çetin, Tobias R Mett, Karina E Bohlen, David Wohlrab

Published in

Chirurgie (Heidelberg, Germany). Volume 97. Issue 7. Pages 555-566. Epub Jun 26, 2026.

Abstract

Postoperative wound healing disorders, particularly surgical site infections, cause substantial morbidity and high healthcare costs. Prophylactic negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) on primarily closed incisions, especially as single use NPWT (sNPWT), has become established across several surgical disciplines; however, standardized, practice-oriented recommendations for indications and application are so far lacking in Germany.
Which international recommendations exist for prophylactic sNPWT use and how can they be adapted to the German healthcare setting?
A structured literature search (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar; 2015-2025) identified international guidelines, recommendations and consensus papers on prophylactic sNPWT. Recommendations were comparatively analyzed. An interdisciplinary expert panel (vascular, cardiac, plastic reconstructive, orthopedic and trauma surgery) developed practice-oriented recommendations across three moderated consensus rounds (RAND/UCLA method).
Out of 19 identified documents, 7 explicitly addressed sNPWT. All recommended its use for high-risk patients but varied in risk definitions (e.g., body mass index, BMI ≥ 30-≥ 40 kg/m²), exudate thresholds and pressure levels. Only one document (NICE) was based on an independent systematic review of the evidence. The panel endorsed 21 consensus-based statements (19 with strong consensus) and developed a practice-oriented risk score comprising 14 moderate and 6 major risk factors for Germany.
These recommendations provide a structured decision support framework for prophylactic sNPWT in routine German healthcare and can serve as a basis for discussion for the initiation of national guidelines by the relevant professional societies.

PMID:
42402513
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 06 Jul 2026.

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