ConvaTec
Innovative Wound Care Leader

Surgical site infections (SSIs) can be devastating to a patient's health and costly for health care providers. In addition to the burdens of further treatment, under the Affordable Care Act, hospitals in the U.S. with high rates of patient readmissions 30 days post-surgery are subject to reduced reimbursement from Medicare. That’s where ConvaTec comes in.

ConvaTec is a global medical device and technologies company focused on therapies for the management of acute and chronic wounds, with a leading market position in advanced wound care. The company’s wound care products provide a range of clinical and economic benefits, including infection prevention, protection of at-risk skin, improved patient outcomes and reduced total cost of care. ConvaTec are best known for our range of AQUACEL^® dressings. AQUACEL^® dressings launched 20 years ago with a breakthrough technology—Hydrofiber^®. Hydrofiber^® Technology works by gelling on contact with exudate, creating an optimal environment for healing wounds and minimising the risk of infection.

The innovative design of AQUACEL® Ag SURGICAL cover dressings has been proven to handle post-operative challenges

AQUACEL^® Ag SURGICAL cover dressings significantly demonstrated the ability to reduce the incidence of post-operative infection and other complications, such as skin blistering, and improve patient satisfaction. In a retrospective clinical study of 1,778 patients undergoing hip and knee replacement surgery (total joint arthroplasty or "TJA"), published in The Journal of Arthroplasty, the use of AQUACEL^® Ag Surgical cover dressing vs. standard gauze surgical dressing reduced periprosthetic joint infection ("PJI") by 76 percent (0.4% vs. 1.7%, p=0.005).

Featuring the ConvaTec patented Hydrofiber^® Technology combined with skin-friendly hydrocolloid technology, AQUACEL^® Ag SURGICAL cover dressings are supported by evidence showing significant reduction in the incidence of superficial surgical site infection (SSI), skin blistering and delayed discharge as compared to a non-woven post-operative surgical cover dressing regimen.1a, 2b The unique construction ofAQUACEL^® Ag SURGICAL cover dressings provides a waterproof, viral and bacterial barrier* that allows for flexibility and extensibility during body movement. “The innovative design of AQUACEL^® Ag SURGICAL cover dressings has been proven to handle post-operative challenges—complications that can translate to increased time, expense and concern for the patient’s well-being,” said Michael Steadman, President of ConvaTec Wound Therapeutics. “Clinicians caring for patients with acute and chronic wounds from all over the world are familiar with the benefits of Hydrofiber^® Technology, which we are now pleased to make available to the surgical community in an easy-to-use solution for their post-operative needs.”

Further results of a randomized controlled trial of 262 TJA patients, published in the American Journal of Orthopedics, found the use of AQUACEL^® Ag SURGICAL cover dressing vs. standard surgical dressing reduced skin blistering by 88 percent (0.7% vs. 6%, p=0.026). The study also found overall patient satisfaction improved 14 percent (mean satisfaction score of 92 vs. 81 out of 100, p=<.0001). Like AQUACEL^® Ag SURGICAL cover dressing, the new AQUACEL^® Ag SURGICAL SP dressing features Hydrofiber^® Technology, ConvaTec's proprietary technology designed to help create a beneficial moist wound environment that supports healing. The antimicrobial silver dressing is highly conformable and provides a waterproof viral and bacterial barrier*** that supports patient comfort and hygiene, such as the ability to shower, after surgery.

AQUACEL^® Ag SURGICAL SP received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration earlier this year and is available in a range of sizes to cover a variety of surgical site incisions.