Clinical experience with the negative pressure wound dressing

Between 1997 and 1999, more than 300 patients have been treated using negat ive pressure wound dressings. The technique has been used successfully to p repare various acute, chronic or infected wounds to accept a skin graft or flap, and to promote graft take at difficult donor sites. The advantages in clude rapid healing by secondary intention, reduced time to skin grafting, an increase in the rate of graft take and a reduction in donor site complic ations. The dressing can be applied quickly and easily and there have been no serious complications.