Clinician’s Report: NPWT: Powered & Non-Powered

KINETIC CONCEPTS, INC. (KCI),

SAN ANTONIO, TX FOUNDED: 1976 HOW MANY NPWT PRODUCTS DOES YOUR COMPANY PRODUCE? Five: ActiV.A.C.® Therapy System, InfoV.A.C.® Therapy System, V.A.C.® Freedom Therapy System, V.A.C.Via™ Therapy System, and, most recently, V.A.C.Ulta™ Therapy System. WHAT IS YOUR MOST POPULAR NPWT PRODUCT? ActiV.A.C. WHAT MAKES THIS PRODUCT UNIQUE? 93% of all NPWT published evidence is based on V.A.C.® Therapy Systems. WHAT IS THE PRODUCT’S IMPACT ON PATIENT CARE? Clinical studies have shown V.A.C. Therapy is associated with lowered incidence of readmission, additional surgeries, and complications; fewer secondary amputations; reduced healing time; reduced costs in acute and post-acute settings; reduced risk of hospitalization; and reduced nursing time. WHAT IS THE SUCTION PRESSURE OR RANGE OF PRESSURE? The user-selectable negative pressure range is between -25 and -200 mm Hg, with the pressure-setting selection being left to physician discretion. IS THE PRESSURE PRE-SET? Yes, to -125 mm Hg and continuous therapy. CAN THIS BE CHANGED? Yes. IS THERE AN INTERMITTENT FEATURE? Yes. IS THERE A CUTOFF THAT STOPS SUCTION IF THE CANISTER IS FULL? Yes. IS THERE A ONE-WAY VALVE TO PREVENT FLUID FROM COMING BACK THROUGH THE TUBING TOWARD THE PATIENT? No; however, there are safety features that mitigate retrograde flow toward the patient. HOW LONG DOES THE BATTERY LAST? When fully charged, 14 hours, on average. HOW MUCH DOES THE MACHINE WEIGH? ActiV.A.C. is fully portable and weighs 2.4 lbs when the 300 ml canister is empty. WHAT IS THE INTERFACE WITH THE WOUND? Specialty V.A.C. Dressings are available to be placed directly at the wound site to facilitate negative pressure application. HOW OFTEN DO YOU RECOMMEND CHANGING THE DRESSING? In a monitored, non-infected wound, V.A.C. Dressings should be changed every 48-72 hours, but no fewer than three times per week, with frequency adjusted by the clinician as appropriate. For infected wounds, dressing change intervals should be based on continuing evaluation of wound condition and patient presentation. CAN YOU “Y” WOUNDS TOGETHER? IF SO, HOW MANY? Yes, ActiV.A.C. can be used to “Y” two wounds together if they are of the same etiology. HOW DO YOU HANDLE UNDERMINING? V.A.C. WhiteFoam Dressing may be placed in undermined areas with good foam-to-tissue contact with minimum pressure setting at -125 mm Hg. HOW OFTEN DO YOU HANDLE FISTULAS? When involving enteric fistula, it’s recommended to seek expert support. V.A.C. Therapy is contraindicated for use with non-enteric and unexplored fistulas. HOW DO YOU HANDLE EXPOSED TENDON OR BONE? Tendons, ligaments, and nerves should be protected to avoid direct contact with V.A.C. Dressings and can be covered with natural tissue or meshed, non-adherent porous material or bioengineered tissue to help minimize risk of desiccation or injury. Bone may be protected with a single layer of a non-adherent interface. HOW IS YOUR DEVICE BILLED? ActiV.A.C. and V.A.C. Freedom Therapy are rented and typically billed to the patient’s insurance, depending on eligibility and coverage. CONTACT: 800-275-4524; media@kci1.com; www.kci1.com.

SPIRACUR INC.,

SUNNYVALE, CA FOUNDED: 2007 PRODUCT: SNaP® Wound Care System DOES YOUR PRODUCT OPERATE WITHOUT ELECTRICITY OR BATTERIES? Yes, SNaP is mechanically powered. DOES YOUR PRODUCT OPERATE SILENTLY? Yes. IS YOUR PRODUCT ULTRAPORTABLE? Yes, it is pocket-sized. HOW MUCH DOES YOUR PRODUCT WEIGH? 2.2 oz. DOES YOUR PRODUCT INCLUDE ADVANCED WOUND DRESSING? Yes, it has a proprietary hydrocolloid dressing that may reduce periwound maceration and allows for easy removal. DOES THE CONTACT LAYER HAVE ANTIMICROBIAL PROPERTIES? Yes, SNaP provides a choice of blue foam or antimicrobial gauze that contains 0.2% polyhexamethylene biguanide. WHAT LEVELS OF NEGATIVE PRESSURE ARE DELIVERED? 125 mm Hg, 100 mm Hg, and 75 mm Hg pressure settings. IS THERE A CUTOFF THAT STOPS SUCTION IF THE CANISTER IS FULL? Yes. IS THERE A ONE-WAY VALVE TO PREVENT FLUID FROM COMING BACK THROUGH THE TUBING TOWARD THE PATIENT? Yes. HOW DO YOU HANDLE WOUNDS IN CHALLENGING LOCATIONS? SNaP Dressing is customizable and can be cut to fit a variety of anatomic areas. In addition, the SNaP SecurRing™ Hydrocolloid can be used with the SNaP System to facilitate fast and easy dressing applications by filling uneven skin surfaces and molding around challenging body contours, such as toe amputations and heel wounds. HOW OFTEN DO YOU RECOMMEND CHANGING THE DRESSING? SNaP requires two dressing changes per week. HAVE YOU CONDUCTED ANY CLINICAL STUDIES WITH YOUR PRODUCT? Yes, we have completed a 132-patient comparative, randomized-controlled study demonstrating non-inferiority to powered NPWT in wound-healing outcomes. In addition, patient survey data found improved quality of life in areas such as mobility, social interaction, and sleep. IS YOUR PRODUCT AVAILABLE OFF-THE-SHELF? Yes. IS YOUR PRODUCT DISPOSABLE? Yes. IS YOUR PRODUCT REIMBURSED IN WOUND CARE CENTERS AND PHYSICIAN OFFICES? Yes, SNaP is covered under G0456 and G0457 for clinical services using a mechanically-powered device, not durable medical equipment, including provision of cartridge and dressing(s), topical applications(s), wound assessment, and instructions for ongoing care. CONTACT: 877-774-7228; info@spiracur.com; www.spiracur.com.

MEDELA INC.,

MCHENRY, IL FOUNDED: 1961 HOW MANY NPWT PRODUCTS DOES YOUR COMPANY PRODUCE? Two: Invia® Liberty® and introducing Invia® Motion.TM WHAT IS YOUR MOST POPULAR NPWT PRODUCT? Invia Liberty and Invia Motion NPWT systems. WHAT MAKES THIS PRODUCT UNIQUE? Invia Liberty and Invia Motion can be used across all care settings. Invia Liberty’s innovative design delivers flexibility in treating acute and chronic wounds. Invia Motion is a personal pump that enables patients to participate in normal daily activities while providing therapy throughout the period of treatment. Both systems can be used with gauze or foam dressing kits. WHAT IS THE PRODUCT’S IMPACT ON PATIENT CARE? Medela’s products combine the positive clinical outcomes of NPWT with the advantages of simplicity and mobility. Invia Liberty and Invia Motion devices, wound dressing kits, and accessories are easy to use in all caregiving environments, provide patients with greater mobility, and offer healthcare professionals flexibility in therapy management. HOW IS YOUR DEVICE BILLED? Devices and accessories are distributed to hospitals, long-term care facilities, and home care settings through our PartnerFirst™ program that works in determining patient eligibility and performs third-party billing. CONTACT: 877-694-6842; suction@medela.com; www.medela.com.

SMITH & NEPHEW,

ST. PETERSBURG, FL FOUNDED: 1856 HOW MANY NPWT PRODUCTS DOES YOUR COMPANY PRODUCE? Seven, including RENASYS™ GO, RENASYS EZ Plus, and PICO,™ a pocket-sized, single use NPWT system. WHAT IS YOUR MOST POPULAR NPWT PRODUCT? There has been strong interest in PICO since it received FDA market clearance in 2012. WHAT MAKES THIS PRODUCT UNIQUE? PICO combines ease of use with revolutionary dressing technology that eliminates bulky canisters. A high-moisture vapor transpiration rate top film allows one-way transpiration of exudate vapor. A proprietary absorbent layer moves exudate away from the wound and initiates evaporation, and an airlock layer maintains open airflow and allows even distribution of negative pressure across the dressing. WHAT IS THE PRODUCT’S IMPACT ON PATIENT CARE? PICO is simple to learn, apply, and operate. ANY SPECIAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HIGH BIOBURDEN OR INFECTION? ACTICOAT™ Flex, a soft and flexible antimicrobial barrier dressing, can be used in conjunction with PICO. HOW IS YOUR DEVICE BILLED? “G” codes 0456 and 0457 may be used by providers submitting claims for PICO use. The amount for hospitals billing in hospital outpatient ambulatory payment classification is $209.65. This payment is separate from the Medicare physician payment. Hospital outpatient payments in higher-cost areas such as San Francisco and New York City may be higher, possibly in the range of $250-$270. CONTACT: 888-711-9903; reimbursement@smith-nephew.com; www.smith-nephew.com/reimbursement.