Closed-Incision Negative Pressure Therapy: Scoping Review and Multidisciplinary Consensus Recommendations of the Spanish Observatory of Infection in Surgery

Abstract

Negative‐pressure wound therapy; Surgical wound infection/epidemiology; Consensus recommendation

Teràpia de ferides amb pressió negativa; Infecció/epidemiologia de ferides quirúrgiques; Recomanació consensuada

Terapia de heridas con presión negativa; Infección/epidemiología de heridas quirúrgicas; Recomendación de consenso

Surgical site infections (SSI) and surgical site complications (SSC) significantly impact surgery outcomes, increasing hospital stays and mortality rates, and negatively affecting patients' quality of life. Closed-incision negative pressure therapy (ciNPT) emerged as a prophylactic strategy to reduce these complications. However, its applicability across different surgical procedures remains unclear. A scoping review was conducted to synthesise the available evidence on the use of ciNPT in different surgical contexts. A multidisciplinary panel of experts from different surgical specialties was assembled to identify patient risk factors for SSCs specific to each modality. Surgical procedures were categorised based on anticipated SSC rates and the impact of SSI. A decision diagram was finally developed, providing tailored recommendations for ciNPT use according to individual surgical circumstances. The findings of the review indicate that ciNPT effectively reduces SSI and SSC in most surgical procedures. Key patient-related factors influencing outcomes, such as age, obesity, and malnutrition, were outlined. Additionally, a specialty-based list of surgical procedures was compiled, specifying whether ciNPT is recommended, not recommended, or conditionally recommended based on specific criteria. This study underscores the benefits of ciNPT and provides a comprehensive guide to its application across several surgical specialties, aiming to optimise patient management and inform clinical practise.