Prevention of postsurgical wound dehiscence after abdominal surgery with NPWT: a multicentre randomised controlled trial protocol.

OBJECTIVE: The effectiveness of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) in the prevention of postoperative surgical wound dehiscence (SWD) is the subject of much debate and remains to be determined. This study will identify individuals at risk of postoperative SWD and trial the use of NPWT as a prophylactic measure against the occurrence of SWD, compared with a non-NPWT standard surgical dressing (SSD).

METHOD: A prospective multicentre randomised controlled trial comparing NPWT dressing against standard surgical dressings (SSD) will be conducted. An intention-to-treat (ITT) approach will be used for the trial.

AIMS: The primary outcome is the prevention of postoperative SWD up to and including day 30 postoperative. Secondary outcomes are: prevention of surgical site infection (SSI) and economic analysis of treatment groups.

CONCLUSION: This study will determine the effectiveness of NPWT in the prevention of postoperative abdominal SWD in a predefined level of risk population. This level 1 study will provide further data for abdominal SWD risk classification, which is anticipated to inform preventive postoperative management. The study design uses a prospective real-world scenario in order to identify clinically significant differences between the intervention and control groups.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was prospectively registered on 10 December 2012 with Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Network (ANZCTR): 12612001275853.