New German expert consensus highlights role for NPWT in mitigating the economic impact of postoperative wound complications

Smith+Nephew (LSE: SN, NYSE: SNN), the global medical technology company, today announces the publication by expert clinicians of new consensus-based guidance - developed by them for the use of single-use negative pressure wound therapy (sNPWT) in closed surgical incisions. The guidance is supported by practical clinical practice recommendations for Germany and has been published in the internationally recognised journal of surgery Die Chirurgie. The new German consensus was supported by Smith+Nephew, a pioneer in sNPWT and manufacturer of the PICO™7 sNPWT system.

A recently published interdisciplinary expert consensus suggests that prophylactic negative pressure wound therapy may not only improve clinical outcomes, but also positively influence key economic and operational indicators.¹ Postoperative wound healing complications and surgical site infections (SSIs) prolong treatment pathways and consume valuable healthcare resources.¹ The new German consensus is the first to translate clinical evidence into practical real-world guidance by recommending the targeted use of single-use negative pressure wound therapy (sNPWT) in high-risk patients, based on a risk score that supports transparent and reproducible clinical decision-making.¹

Data also identifies the scale of economic challenge that is highly apparent within the healthcare system, where postoperative wound complications represent a significant and systematic cost driver that is not consistently reimbursed within the DRG system. The impact on key performance indicators in wound healing highlights the importance of standar...