KCI reports positive trial data for ABThera System

KCI has announced positive data from a new study of its ABThera Open Abdomen Negative Pressure Therapy System.

Results from the retrospective study showed that the device was associated with a greater success rate in ultimate closure procedures following open abdomen management than the traditional Barker vacuum pack technique.

Though KCI's system was costlier than the alternative, this downside was more than outweighed by the improved patient results and savings resulting from successful closures.

Leaving the abdomen open is common practice during the management of complex abdominal problems, but it can also result in fluid loss, infection and organ dysfunction, making it vital that a proper method of temporary abdominal closure is chosen.

Dr Ron Silverman, chief medical officer at KCI, said: "The clinical results and health economic implications of this important study should prove very helpful to clinicians managing patients with an open abdomen, which is a complex and often life-threatening condition."

Earlier this year, the company's Prevena Incision Management System was shown in a study published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery to significantly decreased the incidence of groin surgical site infections in patients after vascular surgery.