Improving outcomes with incisional NPWT
Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) has a mechanism of action that improves the speed, strength and quality of incisional wound healing, thus minimising the failures of healing that lead to infection and/or dehiscence.

Considerable evidence shows NPWT delivers clinical benefits as part of effective incision management.1
Introducing PICO◊
PICO is a canister-free, single-use system offering the ultimate in portable, accessible and affordable NPWT.

A poster recently presented at the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPs) published interim results of a study considering the effects of a single use canister-free Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) System on the prevention of postsurgical wound complications in patients undergoing bilateral breast reduction surgery.
200 patients undergoing bilateral reduction mammoplasty were recruited into a prospective, randomised, intra-patient, comparative, open, multi-centre study. Each patient was treated with both PICO and standard care for up to 14 days to enable a within patient comparison.
Follow-up assessments were carried out to evaluate the difference in incision healing complications between PICO and standard care up to 21 days post-surgery (Primary Endpoint). Healing complications were defined as delayed healing (incision not 100% closed by 7 days), or occurrence of dehiscence or infection within 21 days. Differences in scar quality and aesthetic appearance were also assessed using The Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS) and The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at 42 and 90 days.
Results
Significantly fewer overall healing complications had occurred by 21 days post-surgery when treated with PICO compared to Standard Care (5%, p=0.004) (95% CI 2.0% to 9.2%).
Treatment with PICO resulted in significantly fewer incidences of dehiscence compared to standard care (32 patients (16.2%) v 52 patients (26.4%) by day 21 (p<0.001).
Scar quality as measured by the VAS and POSAS scoring systems was shown to be significantly better on PICO treatment than Standard Care, both at the 42 day and 90 day assessment (p<0.001).
Click here to view the poster in full.
References
- Karlakki S et al, Negative pressure wound therapy for management of the surgical incision in orthopaedic surgery, Bone Joint Res 2013; 2:276-84.