4 Efficacy

4 Efficacy

This section describes efficacy outcomes from the published literature that the Committee considered as part of the evidence about this procedure. For more detailed information on the evidence, see the overview.

4.1 A meta-analysis of 4303 patients reported delayed primary fascial closure rates of 58% (95% confidence interval [CI] 51 to 65) for negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT), 78% (95% CI 56 to 94) for Wittmann patch, 44% (95% CI 27 to 61) for zipper, 36% (95% CI 26 to 46) for mesh, 28% (95% CI 8 to 55) for Bogota bag and 13% (95% CI 3 to 28) for packing. A non-randomised comparative study of 578 patients treated by NPWT or other temporary abdominal closure techniques reported delayed primary fascial closure rates of 45% (84/187) and 61% (114/187) respectively (p=0.002, matched pair analysis).

4.2 The non-randomised comparative study of 578 patients treated by NPWT or other temporary abdominal closure techniques reported that 14% (27/187) and 11% (20/187) of patients respectively needed prosthetic replacement of the abdominal wall (p=0.28, matched pair analysis). A case series of 111 patients reported that 7% (8/111) of patients needed abdominal wall reconstruction with a polypropylene mesh.

4.3 The specialist advisers listed key efficacy outcomes as reduction of exudate from the open abdomen, early fascial closure, shorter length of hospital stay, lower mortality, lower rate of secondary procedures to reconstruct the abdominal wall and improvement in patients' quality of life.

  • National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)