Wound Vac
Depending upon the type and severity of your wound, a doctor may suggest using a wound vacuum-assisted closure, also known as wound vac, to help close the wound. This wound vac works just like you would expect, using negative pressure to close the wound to help prevent infection and to aid in healing. This is normally used in the case of chronic wounds or wounds that have difficulty in healing. How is this treatment used to help in healing of wounds?
Wounds that don't heal quickly may be treated with a vacuum or suctions system sometimes called wound vac. In fact, there are several different names for this treatment technique: surface wound suction, topical negative pressure, vacuum assisted closure, or vacuum sealing technique being the most common. The idea is that it stimulates healing by bringing oxygen-rich blood to the site and encouraging cell growth. Of course there is debate about the wisdom or efficacy of this approach, but it has enough success behind it to stay an option for some doctors.
The wound vac is used only when a wound does not heal after a period of seven days, if a patient has a chronic wound, such as a pressure ulcer, or for acute wounds that have been open for longer than twelve hours. In cases such as these, the wound vac treatment is used intermittently or continuously until the wound is completely healed, until it can be surgically closed, or until the patient refuses further treatment or dies. How does the wound vac process work?
Other terms for wound vac are surface wound suction, topical negative pressure, vacuum assisted closure, and vacuum sealing technique. The process is essentially the same for each type of treatment where a foam dressing is applied over the wound and this dressing is attached to a medical grade tube that is attached to a suction device. This treatment can be done on a continuous basis until the wound is healed or is able to be closed surgically or it can be used intermittently, depending upon the severity of the wound. You may no be wondering why does the wound vac approach work.
There are different theories, but the most common reason is that it increases blood flow to the area. The suction draws blood to the wound, which can help aid in the healing process. Another benefit of the wound vac treatment is that it seems to encourage cell growth, which can help your wound to heal as well. This can be directly related to the fact that the edges of the wound are pulled and stretched, which encourages the cells to migrate and replenish.
The efficacy of the wound vac is widely debated. It has been used sincee the mid- to late-1990s, especially in the case of chronic wounds like pressure ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers. Studies have found that it is very effective for a wide range of wounds that don't heal quickly and has very few side effects. Some of the side effects that have been reported include pain, infection, and bleeding, but they are not very common.
Wound vac is something that may be suggested if you go to the doctor with a wound that does not heal. It can help a wound heal quicker in a less invasive way than surgery and can help decrease the chance of infection.
