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.

New guidelines link prevention strategies to improved health economics
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

Complications linked to rising costs
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 standardised and economically sound treatment guidance⁴, for example:

• Length of stay: up to twice as long in patients with wound healing complications (18 vs. 9 days)⁴
• Staff workload: substantially increased (687.5 vs. 376 minutes)⁴
• Material costs: more than five times higher (€228 vs. €42)⁴
• Additional costs per case: approximately €2,850⁴

PICO 7 features support efficient use of hospital resources
Prophylactic use of NPWT has been proven to help prevent surgical site complications, significantly reducing the length of hospital stay.^*3 Whilst a relevant consideration from both a clinical and economic perspective, for prevention strategies to succeed in routine practice they must integrate seamlessly into existing care pathways. PICO 7 device is a canister-free, portable, single-use negative pressure wound therapy system designed to deliver a negative pressure of –80 mmHg for up to 7 days. Importantly, it can be used in both inpatient and outpatient settings. The practical dressing change indicator, visual indicators for leak detection and battery status, and the availability of dressing sizes and configurations to accommodate different anatomical situations all combine to facilitate integration into established care pathways, and support continuity of therapy across all healthcare settings.

Enquiries
Frida Wilhelmsson +46 (738) 499-429 
Smith+Nephew      frida.wilhelmsson@smith-nephew.com

References
*Compared to care with standard dressings; p=0.0002; meta-analysis of 10 studies
[1] Karl T, Çetin SM, Mett TR, Bohlen KE, Wohlrab D. Die Einweg-Vakuumversiegelungstherapie zur Prävention von Wundheilungsstörungen bei primär verschlossenen Inzisionen: Internationaler Konsens und praxisnahe Empfehlungen für Deutschland. Die Chirurgie 07/2026.

2 Groenen H, Jalalzadeh H, Buis DR, et al. Incisional negative pressure wound therapy for the prevention of surgical site infection: an up-to-date meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis. EClinicalMedicine. 2023;62:102105. doi:10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102105.

3 Saunders C, Nherera LM, Horner A, Trueman P. Single-use negative-pressure wound therapy versus conventional dressings for closed surgical incisions:systematic literature review and meta-analysis. BJS Open. 2021;5(1):1–8

4 Schubert T, Czenna V, Bauermeister R, Cramer J. Economic impact of wound healing disorders from a hospital perspective. Gesundheitsökonomie und Qualitätsmanagement. 2025. doi:10.1055/a-2458-0017.

About Smith+Nephew
Smith+Nephew is a portfolio medical technology business focused on the repair, regeneration and replacement of soft and hard tissue. We exist to restore people’s bodies and their self-belief by using technology to take the limits off living. We call this purpose ‘Life Unlimited’. Our 17,000 employees deliver this mission every day, making a difference to patients’ lives through the excellence of our product portfolio, and the invention and application of new technologies across our three global business units of Orthopaedics, Sports Medicine & ENT and Advanced Wound Management.

Founded in Hull, UK, in 1856, we now operate in around 100 countries, and generated annual sales of $6.2 billion in 2025. Smith+Nephew is a constituent of the FTSE100 (LSE:SN, NYSE:SNN). The terms ‘Group’ and ‘Smith+Nephew’ are used to refer to Smith & Nephew plc and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless the context requires otherwise.

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