What a wound VAC does
A wound VAC is the common name for negative pressure wound therapy, or NPWT. A foam or gauze dressing is fitted into the wound, sealed under a clear film and connected by tubing to a small pump. The pump applies gentle, controlled suction that draws fluid into a canister and helps the wound fill in from the base.
The therapy is ordered by a clinician for a specific wound. Gateway supports people using a wound VAC at home in St. Louis and the Metro East by arranging follow-up visits with a partner clinician and coordinating with the nurses and supplier involved. Our guide explains what negative pressure wound therapy is in plain language.
Who this follow-up helps
- People sent home from the hospital with a wound VAC already in place
- People with a surgical wound that has opened and is being treated with NPWT
- People with a pressure injury, a foot wound after surgery or another open wound where negative pressure therapy has been ordered
- Family caregivers living with the pump’s alarms who want to know whom to call
What the clinician checks at follow-up visits
Negative pressure therapy calls for regular reassessment by a clinician, not only dressing changes. At follow-up visits the partner clinician may:
- Examine and measure the wound with the dressing off and compare it with earlier visits
- Decide whether the therapy should continue, be adjusted or stop
- Write or renew orders for the pressure setting, the dressing type and the change schedule
- Look for reasons to pause, such as infection, bleeding or dead tissue in the wound
How Gateway coordinates the pump, supplies and nurses
A wound VAC has more moving parts than most wound care, and they belong to different organizations. Gateway helps by:
- Confirming who ordered the therapy and collecting the current order and wound history
- Coordinating with the nursing agency so the clinician can see the wound on a dressing-change day when possible
- Following up with the equipment supplier about canisters and dressing kits through our supply and equipment coordination
- Keeping track of when orders or authorizations come up for renewal
A wound VAC at home, in skilled nursing or in assisted living
At home, a home health nurse is usually the person who sees the wound most often. Our page on wound care alongside home health explains how the nurse and the wound clinician divide the work.
In skilled nursing and rehabilitation, facility nurses change the dressing and the partner clinician sees the resident on site. In assisted living, staff may not be permitted to manage the device, so a home health agency is often part of the plan.
A hospital’s pump usually stays at the hospital, so a home unit has to be ordered and delivered around the time of discharge. Gateway asks about this early when a hospital refers.
Primary care and the ordering clinician
The clinician who ordered the therapy, often a surgeon, receives each visit’s findings, and so does your primary care clinician. Nutrition and blood sugar affect how the wound fills in, and those are managed in primary care.
Tell every clinician involved if you take a blood thinner, because bleeding is a risk the team watches for with this therapy.
Alarms and changes to report
Call your nurse or the treating clinician about:
- An alarm for a leak, a blockage or a full canister that you cannot clear with the steps you were taught
- A pump that has been off for longer than your team said was acceptable
- Drainage that suddenly increases, or turns cloudy, thick or foul smelling
- Redness, warmth or swelling spreading from the wound, or fever and chills
- New or stronger pain while the pump is running
- Blistered or raw skin under the film
At the start, ask how long the pump can safely be off and what to do if it stops overnight. Our guide to wound VAC problems covers common alarms.
Gateway is not an emergency service. Call 911 if bright red blood fills the tubing or canister, or if bleeding does not stop. Ask your team ahead of time what to do with the pump if that happens.
How to start
Patients and caregivers can request care or call 314-325-0126. The form asks for contact details only.
Clinicians, agencies and facilities can refer a patient or fax the therapy order and recent wound notes to 314-786-7966. Visits depend on the location and care setting.
Common questions
Can I shower with a wound VAC?
Ask the clinician who ordered it, because the answer depends on the pump and where the wound is. The pump must stay dry. Some teams allow a short shower with the pump briefly disconnected and the dressing sealed, and others ask you to wait for a dressing-change day. Do not disconnect anything unless you have been shown how.
How often is the dressing changed, and who changes it?
The schedule is written in the order, commonly a few times a week. A home health or facility nurse usually does the change. The treating clinician does not need to be there every time but should see the wound regularly with the dressing removed.
Can a family member change the wound VAC dressing?
That is for the ordering clinician and the nursing agency to decide. These dressing changes are usually done by a nurse, because the dressing must be fitted and sealed correctly and every piece of foam accounted for. Families are more often taught to respond to alarms, swap a full canister and spot problems. Ask what is expected of you, and ask to be shown.
How long will I need the wound VAC?
There is no standard length. The treating clinician reassesses the wound and continues the therapy only while it is helping. It is stopped when the wound has filled in enough for ordinary dressings or another way of closing it, or if a problem makes it unsuitable.
Related pages
General information to help you talk with your own clinician. It is not medical advice, and the treating clinician makes every clinical decision. For a medical emergency, call 911.