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3M Medical
3M™ ActiV.A.C. Therapy System with V.A.C.® Granufoam™ Bridge Dressing applied to DFU

Reimagine wound care.
One patient at a time.

Each patient and wound is unique and deserves customised care.
Our comprehensive negative pressure wound therapy solutions enable you to
provide wound management options based on each patient’s needs.

EXPLORE 3M NPWT SOLUTIONS

3M Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT)

No two wounds, just like no two people, are exactly the same. The way you treat your patient is as unique as they are. With 3M’s scientifically engineered negative pressure wound therapy solutions and support, you can reimagine the way you approach wound care. 3M provides a wide range of wound management options, which have been shown in comparative studies to help reduce the cost of care and improve patient outcomes.1-3

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What is Negative Pressure Wound Therapy?

  • Applying 3M™ V.A.C.® Via Granufoam™ Spiral Dressing to ankle

      Negative Pressure Wound Therapy creates an environment that promotes the wound healing process. The application of negative pressure to a wound also assists with the removal of wound fluids, which can include infectious materials.4

      Since its commercialisation in 1995, Negative Pressure Wound Therapy has been used effectively in a wide variety of acute and chronic wounds.5 Whilst initially available only for inpatient wound treatment, over time, a variety of portable NPWT systems have been developed for use across the continuum of care.

      3M NPWT solutions come in all shapes and sizes—ranging from durable devices with multiple therapy modalities, to portable and disposable units that can fit in the palm of your hand.

3M Negative Pressure Wound Therapy

At 3M, we continue to develop new technologies and therapies designed to make wound healing manageable for you as caregivers and more comfortable for patients around the world. 3M NPWT have evolved beyond the standard 3M™ V.A.C.® Therapy.

  • V.A.C.® Therapy with 3M™ Dermatac™ Drape, arthroplasty revision
    Setting the standard for negative pressure wound therapy

    An integrated wound management system designed and clinically shown to create an environment that promotes wound healing. V.A.C.® Therapy has demonstrated in published studies the potential to help reduce hospitalisation time6,7 and risk of complications.8,9

    • Consistently delivers the prescribed programmed amount of negative pressure
    • Creates an environment to promote wound healing
    • Reducing therapy days for post-acute patients10

    Learn more about V.A.C.® Therapy

  • KCI therapy application
    NPWT with automated instillation and dwell cycles

    Veraflo Therapy combines the benefits of NPWT with automated instillation and dwell of topical wound solution to provide simulateous cleansing and granulation tissue formation.

    • Manages bioburden through repetitive wound cleansing11
    • Prepares wounds for closure, maximises patient comfort, and has the potential to lower the total cost of care12

    Learn more about Veraflo Therapy

  • Surgeons in an operating room tending to a patient's hip incision
    Closed Incision Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (ciNPT )

    Prevena Therapy is the first single-use negative pressure therapy system designed for the management of closed incisions in patients at risk of post-operative complications, including infection.

    • Moves and stores exudate away from the incision site into a separate canister
    • Reticulated open cell foam (ROCF) dressing technology brings incision edges together and reduces lateral tension
    • Shown in a multi-centre, randomised controlled trial to help reduce the risk of surgical site complications (SSCs) compared with silver-impregnated dressings13,14

    Learn more about Prevena Therapy

  • Peritonitis closure using ABTHERA ADVANCE™ Open Abdomen dressing
    Temporary abdominal closure (TAC) system

    AbThera Therapy helps protect abdominal contents from the external environment, allows rapid access for re-entry, provides medial tension, and fluid removal. It helps draw wound edges together and helps to achieve primary fascial closure.

    The temporary abdominal closure system provides medial tension, which helps minimise fascial retraction and loss of domain15-17

    In two separate studies,18,19 when compared to Barker's vacuum pack technique, AbThera Therapy demonstrated greater reduction in 30-day and 90-day all-cause mortality.18,19

    Learn more about AbThera Therapy
  • clinician applying 3M™ Snap™ Bridge Dressing to a diabetic foot ulcer
    Discreet, single-use NPWT system that preserves patient mobility

    Snap Therapy System is a discreet, mechanically powered, single-use system that preserves patient mobility and is ideal for low-to-moderate exudating wounds.

    Customisable dressings to address even the most difficult anatomies, such as diabetic foot ulcers.

    Learn more about Snap Therapy
  • 3M™ Prevena™ Plus Therapy Unit with select 3M™ V.A.C.® Dressings
    3M™ Prevena™ Plus Therapy Unit with select 3M™ V.A.C.® Dressings

    The single-use NPWT system, designed for the treatment of open wounds using select V.A.C.® Dressings that you know and trust.

    • Dressings you trust- compatible with small- to medium-sized 3M™ V.A.C.® Granufoam Dressings 3M™ V.A.C.® Whitefoam Dressings.
    • Compact and portable - helping patients to resume everyday activities
    • Pre-set, continuous NPWT at -125mmHg for up to 14 days
    • May help support earlier patient discharge

    sNPWT System - Transition Brochure (PDF, 0.56MB)

    sNPWT System - Overview flyer (PDF, 0.42MB)

NPWT offers a wide range of solutions for different wound types

3M’s comprehensive NPWT portfolio helps promote a healing environment for many different types of wounds across multiple care settings.

  • Close up of a traumatic wound
    Traumatic wounds

    By applying negative pressure at the wound site to help support healing, 3M NPWT helps draw wound edges together, remove infectious materials, and promote granulation tissue formation.9,14

    Learn more about managing traumatic wounds
  • close up of pressure ulcer wound
    Pressure injuries

    Consider using NPWT as an early adjunct therapy for reducing the size and depth of Stage 3 and 4 pressure injuries. NPWT has been used as a first-line treatment for wounds.20

    Learn more about managing pressure injuries
  • close up of diabetic Foot Ulcer on a non-infected Wound
    Diabetic foot ulcers

    Diabetic foot ulcers and other chronic wounds require an optimal environment that combines exudate management, protection from outside contaminants, and easy dressing application and removal.21

    Learn more about managing diabetic foot ulcers
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Explore 3M NPWT in more depth with our additional resources

  • image of the pages inside the product information brochure
    3M Negative Pressure Wound Therapy portfolio (PDF, 4.8 MB)

    Every wound is unique and may require a cascading approach to treatment. NPWT creates an environment that promotes wound healing by delivering negative pressure at the wound site. 3M offers a range of these specialized solutions to support your individual facility and patient needs. Including accompanying solutions.

    View 3M NPWT Portfolio (PDF, 4.8 MB)
  • image of the pages inside the 3M post acute case booklet
    Read 7 post-acute case studies (PDF, 10.9 MB)

    This booklet includes case studies across several wound types like traumatic wounds, chronic wounds, diabetic foot ulcers and venous leg ulcers. Learn how 3M Negative Pressure Wound Therapy and Advanced Wound Care solutions can help provide comprehensive wound management from start to finish.

    View 7 post-acute cases (PDF, 10.9 MB)

2,000+ peer-reviewed publications

on 3M Negative Pressure Wound Therapy
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3M webinars and archived events keep you up to date with the latest product
guidelines and scientifically supported standards of care.

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Clinician applying 3M Snap Dressing to patient's ankle

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Pressure Wound Therapy?

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technology can help you manage wound care the smart way.

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    We are here to help! Get in touch with our customer support team for advice about our products and how to use them.

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    View product catalogue

    View our advanced wounds and Negative Pressure Wound Therapy and I.V. dressings portfolios and browse our product catalogue.

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    Instructions for Use

    Find Instructions for Use for specific 3M Health Care products.

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    FAQs

    Find answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding 3M Health Care.

Note: Specific indications, contraindications, warnings, precautions and safety information exist for these products and therapies. Please consult a clinician and product instructions for use prior to application. This material is intended for healthcare professionals.

References

  1. Yang CK, Alcantara S, Goss S, Lantis JC 2nd. Cost analysis of negative-pressure wound therapy with instillation for wound bed preparation preceding split-thickness skin grafts for massive (>100 cm(2)) chronic venous leg ulcers. J Vasc Surg. 2015 Apr;61(4):995-9.
  2. Law A, Cyhaniuk A, Krebs B. Comparison of health care costs and hospital readmission rates associated with negative pressure wound therapies. Wounds. 2015 Mar;27(3):63-72.
  3. Kwon J, Staley C, McCullough M, Goss S, Arosemena M, Abai B, Salvatore D, Reiter D, DiMuzio P. A randomized clinical trial evaluating negative pressure therapy to decrease vascular groin incision complications. J Vasc Surg. 2018 Dec;68(6):1744-1752.
  4. Morykwas MJ, Argenta LC, Shelton-Brown EI, McGuirt W. Vacuum-assisted closure: a new method for wound control and treatment: animal studies and basic foundation. Ann Plast Surg. 1997 Jun;38(6):553-62. doi: 10.1097/00000637-199706000-00001. PMID: 9188970.
  5. Willy C, Voelker HU, Englehardt M. Literature On the Subject of Vacuum Therapy: Review and Update 2006. European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery. 2007;33:33-39.
  6. Blume PA, Walters J, Payne W, Ayala J, Lantis J. Comparison of negative pressure wound therapy using vacuum-assisted closure with advanced moist wound therapy in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers: a multicenter randomized controlled trial. Diabetes Care. 2008;31:631-636.
  7. Armstrong DG, Lavery LA, Diabetic Foot Study Consortium. Negative pressure wound therapy after partial diabetic foot amputation: a multicentre, randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2005;366:1704-1710.
  8. Scherer LA, Shiver S, Chang M, Meredith JW, Owings JT. The vacuum assisted closure device: a method of securing skin grafts and improving graft survival. Arch Surg. 2002;137:930-934.
  9. Falagas ME, Tansarli GS, Kapaskelis A, Vardakas KZ. Impact of vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy on clinical outcomes of patients with sternal wound infections: a meta-analysis of non-randomized studies. PLoS One. 2013 May 31;8(5):e64741.
  10. Brennfleck FW, Bongards C. Health economic assessment of negative pressure wound therapy use in the management of subcutaneous abdominal wound healing impairment (SAWHI) in the out-of-hospital setting. Int Wound J. 2022 Jul 14. doi: 10.1111/iwj.13894. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35833308.
  11. Brinkert D, Ali M, Naud M, Maire N, Trial C, Téot L. Negative pressure wound therapy with saline instillation: 131 patient case series. Int Wound J. 2013;10 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):56-60. doi:10.1111/iwj.12176
  12. Kim PJ, Lookess S, Bongards C, Griffin LP, Gabriel A. Economic model to estimate cost of negative pressure wound therapy with instillation vs control therapies for hospitalised patients in the United States, Germany, and United Kingdom. International Wound Journal. 2022 May;19(4):888-894.
  13. Higuera-Rueda CA, Emara AK, Nieves-Malloure Y, Klika AK, Cooper HJ, Cross MB, Guild GN, Nam D, Nett MP, Scuderi GR, Cushner FD, Piuzzi NS, Silverman RP. The Effectiveness of Closed-Incision Negative-Pressure Therapy Versus Silver-Impregnated Dressings in Mitigating Surgical Site Complications in High-Risk Patients After Revision Knee Arthroplasty: The PROMISES Randomized Controlled Trial. J Arthroplasty. 2021 Jul;36(7S):S295-S302.e14. doi: 10.1016/j.arth.2021.02.076. Epub 202
  14. Cooper HJ, Bongards C, Silverman RP. Cost-effectiveness of closed incision negative pressure therapy for surgical site management after revision total knee arthroplasty: Secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial. Presented at: American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons Annual Meeting, November 11-14, 2021, Dallas, Texas.
  15. Cheatham ML, Demetriades D, Fabian TC, et al. Prospective study examining clinical outcomes associated with a negative pressure wound therapy system and Barker's vacuum packing technique. World J Surg. 2013;37(9):2018-2030. doi:10.1007/s00268-013-2080-z
  16. Frazee RC, Abernathy SW, Jupiter DC, et al. Are commercial negative pressure systems worth the cost in open abdomen management?. J Am Coll Surg. 2013;216(4):730-735. doi:10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2012.12.035
  17. Atema JJ, Gans SL, Boermeester MA. Systematic review and meta-analysis of the open abdomen and temporary abdominal closure techniques in non-trauma patients. World J Surg. 2015;39(4):912-925. doi:10.1007/s00268-014-2883-6
  18. Cheatham ML, Demetriades D, Fabian TC, Kaplan MJ, Miles WS, Schreiber MA, Holcomb JB, Bochicchio G, Sarani B, Rotondo MF. Prospective study examining clinical outcomes associated with a negative pressure wound therapy system and Barker's vacuum packing technique. World J Surg. 2013 Sep;37(9):2018-30. doi: 10.1007/s00268-013-2080-z. PMID: 23674252; PMCID: PMC3742953.
  19. Kirkpatrick AW, Roberts DJ, Faris PD, Ball CG, Kubes P, Tiruta C, Xiao Z, Holodinsky JK, McBeth PB, Doig CJ, Jenne CN. Active Negative Pressure Peritoneal Therapy After Abbreviated Laparotomy: The Intraperitoneal Vacuum Randomized Controlled Trial. Ann Surg. 2015 Jul;262(1):38-46. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000001095. PMID: 25536308; PMCID: PMC4463030.
  20. Baharestani MM, Houliston-Otto DB, Barnes S. Early versus late initiation of negative pressure wound therapy: examining the impact on home care length of stay. Ostomy Wound Manage. 2008 Nov;54(11):48-53. PMID: 19037137.
  21. Harding K, et al. The role of mechanically powered disposable negative pressure wound therapy (dNPWT) in practice. Wounds International 2017. Available to download from www.woundsinternational.com
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