After surgery, they slapped one of these puppies on me. No problem. At first. The wound vac dressing has to be changed every two days. I'd down two Percoset and two syringes of morphine sulfate through the IV but that did nothing to kill the pain. Old sponge out, new sponge in. A real treat I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy (save one who shall remain nameless). Here's the skinny on this device.
When a patient has a large wound or pressure sore that is proving very difficult to heal, this device may be used to promote and speed up the healing process. The name for the device comes from the acronym Vacuum Assisted Closure. The device is a portable vacuum pump attached to a special dressing which helps provide a reduced pressure environment within a wound.
A range of wound sizes may be treated and the user would initially select the appropriate dressing required. The disposable foam dressing is first cut to the correct size and shape and then packed into the wound. An occlusive clear drape is then applied over the foam. A small hole is made within the drape and the tubing-dressing pad is applied over the hole. The tubing is then connected to the pump and when it is switched on, the wound negative pressure therapy commences.
An easy to use touch screen display allows the user to select the appropriate therapy setting and should there be a large amount of exudate (excess fluid) collected within the canister, an alarm will indicate that it requires emptying. A filter system within the canister helps reduce wound odor.
The Pump can operate on battery for up to four hours and display a message on screen when recharging is necessary. There is also a user’s guide for recommended guidelines for treatment and therapy protocols. If the pump does alarm, it will also advise staff how to proceed.
The VAC Pump is used mainly in the surgical, trauma and orthopedic practice areas where more patients present with open wounds. Reducing the time it takes to heal a wound would hopefully mean a patient spending less time in hospital and more at home.
By creating a negative pressure under the special foam dressing, the VAC Pump helps to draw the wound closed. Also, if there is a great deal of fluid coming out of a wound or accumulating under a skin graft, the pump gently draws it away into a storage canister. This has the effect of improving the blood supply to the wound and promoting healing by removing the pressure that excess fluid (exudate) creates.
The pressure within the wound can be pre-set on the VAC Pump and maintained due to the construction of the tubing used to connect the dressing with the Pump. It has a central core to channel the exudate away but also has a separate sensing path to constantly monitor the pressure within the wound and feed back the information to the Pump. This allows the patient to move about without the fear of disturbing the wound environment. The pressure would be set relative to the patient’s needs, taking into account the size of the wound and how much exudate was being removed.
After surgery, they slapped one of these puppies on me. No problem. At first. The wound vac dressing has to be changed every two days. I'd down two Percoset and two syringes of morphine sulfate through the IV but that did nothing to kill the pain. Old sponge out, new sponge in. A real treat I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy (save one who shall remain nameless). Here's the skinny on this device. 
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