Smooth recovery from physical trauma or surgery depends a great deal on how quickly the wound or incision heals. For some patients, especially those who are at high risk for infection, slow healing can be a life-threatening situation.
Wake Forest University Health Sciences Professor Louis C. Argenta, MD, and associate professor Michael J. Morykwas, PhD, both in the university’s department of plastic and reconstructive surgery, disclosed the “Vacuum-Assisted Closure (V.A.C.)” device in 1990.
Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1995, V.A.C. Therapy is widely accepted as the treatment of choice for a variety of wounds, especially head and leg injuries and troublesome, slow-healing wounds such as burns, bedsores and diabetic ulcers.
V.A.C. Therapy rapidly heals wounds with fewer complications and infections compared to traditional wound treatment. By using V.A.C. Therapy to apply negative pressure to a wound or incision, doctors can easily and gently remove fluids and infectious materials, which reduces the chances of infection. A special, open-cell foam dressing promotes healing and helps draw the edges of the wound together.
V.A.C. Therapy rapidly heals wounds with fewer complications and infections compared to traditional wound treatment.
Today V.A.C. Therapy is dramatically changing the standard of medical care around the world, both on the battlefield and in the hospital. More than a million Americans also use V.A.C. Therapy in their homes, reducing the time they spend in hospitals and clinics, as well as their need for in-home nursing visits.
This story was originally published in 2007.
To see available technologies from research institutions, click here to visit the AUTM Innovation Marketplace.