A senior market analyst at Future Market Insights talks about the ongoing changes taking place in the negative pressure wound therapy market and the major innovations developed by service providers.
Owing to advances in medical treatments, the advent of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has become essential in the treatment of various health issues including pressure ulcers, diabetic ulcers, burns, and venous ulcers among others, through devices that can be customized for the unique contours of every patient’s body. This is expected to set up lucrative prospects for the future of NPWT service providers.
Is treating chronic diabetes with NPWT more effective?
The cost of treating wounds arising through chronic diabetes can be very high, owing to ancillary expenses related to the purchase of regular changes of dressings, visits to outpatient facilities, and hospitals. Traditional treatment methods usually require more outpatient visits and surgical procedures in comparison to NPWT processes in the long term. While negative pressure wound therapy has a higher initial cost, faster recovery rates can shorten the treatment duration and save money and resources for both the patient, as well as the healthcare institution.
What innovations in NPWT device design will have a significant impact on treatment processes?
Manufacturers are increasingly integrating mechanically powered systems, and miniature sizes of device designs to improve on portability and ease of application. While, design changes were not found to make any significant improvement in recovery time, these smaller devices allowed for faster application, while having minimal negative impact on the daily activities of patients, which makes it ideal for patients who have smaller wounds, who can go about their lives without being restricted in the movement in any notable way.
In addition, the recent addition of a silver coating to the conventional antimicrobial foam dressings has decreased microbial growth, thereby reducing the duration of hospital stays, or surgical debridement procedures in the pelvic region or the body’s extremities.
Do NPWT treatments pose risks to patients, further hampering its adoption?
As per research conducted by the Food and Drug Administration of the United States, the use of negative pressure wound treatment can be counterproductive when used for certain types of wounds and ailments. Untreated osteomyelitis, necrotic tissues with scabs, malignant wounds, exposed nerves or organs, and nonenteric fistulas are some of the conditions where the use of NPWT devices and procedures can create a risk of severe bleeding and reduction of coagulation, posing significant risks to the patient’s life. This might have an adverse effect on the use of such treatments. However, the right healthcare training for physicians, can help in not only the accurate evaluation of wounds, but also the entire patient, before the administration of NPWT.
Need more revelations and stats? Then checkout a sample of the FMI report.