Systems and methods for using negative pressure wound therapy to manage open abdominal wounds

A method of treating a wound site using negative pressure, wherein the treatment comprises:

• placing a wound contact layer onto the wound site;
• sizing a porous pad to fit within the wound site, wherein the porous pad comprises:
• a generally planar shape with a thickness less than a width and a length;
• a major axis;
• a minor axis;
• four quadrants defined by the major and minor axes;
• a plurality of arcuate outer cuts or perforations extending through at least a portion of the thickness of the pad and having an elliptical shape, the plurality of arcuate outer cuts or perforations comprising four outer cuts each separated from adjacent outer cuts by uncut, unperforated bridge portions, wherein an outer cut is located in each of the four quadrants and the bridge portions separating the outer cuts are positioned at opposite ends along the major and minor axes;
• a plurality of arcuate inner cuts extending through at least a portion of the thickness of the pad and having an elliptical shape similarly shaped to the plurality of arcuate outer cuts or perforations, the plurality of arcuate outer cuts or perforations surrounding the plurality of arcuate inner cuts or perforations, the plurality of arcuate inner cuts or perforations comprising four inner cuts each separated from adjacent inner cuts by uncut, unperforated bridge portions, wherein an inner cut is located in each of the four quadrants and the bridge portions separating the inner cuts are positioned at opposite ends along the major and minor axes;
• an upper arcuate cut or perforation and a lower arcuate cut or perforation symmetrically arranged about the minor axis located at opposite ends of the pad, wherein the upper arcuate cut or perforation and the lower arcuate cut or perforation are positioned between the outer cuts or perforations and the inner cuts or perforations, wherein the upper arcuate cut or perforation extends across two quadrants s mmetricall about the major axis on a first side of the minor axis, and the lower arcuate cut or perforation extends across two quadrants symmetrically about the major axis on a second side of the minor axis opposite the first side, and wherein the upper arcuate cut or perforation and the lower arcuate cut or perforation have a larger radius of curvature than that of at least a portion of the outer cuts or perforations near the major axis;
• and
• wherein the cuts or perforations define at least one pad section config red to be detachable from the pad;
• wherein sizing the porous pad comprises removing portions of the porous pad along at least one of said cuts or perforations;
• placing the porous pad over the wound contact layer;
• sealing the wound site with a flexible drape configured to be positioned over the wound and sealed to the skin surrounding the wound;
• connecting a source of negative pressure to the wound site, wherein the source of negative pressure is connected through a conduit fluidically connected between the drape and the source of negative pressure;
• and
• maintaining the application of negative pressure to the wound site until the wound site has reached a desired level of healing.

A porous pad for the treatment of wounds using negative pressure, wherein the pad comprises:

• a porous material suitable for channeling wound exudate from a wound site and negative pressure to the wound site;
• a generally planar shape with a thickness less than a width and a length;
• a major axis;
• a minor axis;
• four quadrants defined by the major and minor axes;
• a plurality of arcuate outer cuts or perforations extending through at least a portion of the thickness of the pad and having an elliptical shape, the plurality of arcuate outer cuts or perforations comprising four outer cuts each separated from adjacent outer cuts by uncut, unperforated bridge portions, wherein an outer cut is located in each of the four quadrants and the bridge portions separating the outer cuts are positioned at opposite ends along the major and minor axes;
• a plurality of arcuate inner cuts or perforations extending through at least a portion of the thickness of the pad and having an elliptical shape similarly shaped to the plurality of arcuate outer cuts or perforations, the plurality of arcuate outer cuts or perforations surrounding the plurality of arcuate inner cuts or perforations, the plurality of arcuate inner cuts or perforations comprising four inner cuts each separated from adjacent inner cuts by uncut, unperforated bridge portions, wherein an inner cut is located in each of the four quadrants and the bridge portions separating the inner cuts are positioned at opposite ends along the major and minor axes;
• an upper arcuate cut or perforation and a lower arcuate cut or perforation symmetrically arranged about the minor axis located at opposite ends of the pad, wherein the upper arcuate cut or perforation and the lower arcuate cut or perforation are positioned between the outer cuts or perforations and the inner cuts or perforations, wherein the upper arcuate cut or perforation extends across two quadrants symmetrically about the major axis on a first side of the minor axis, and the lower arcuate cut or perforation extends across two quadrants symmetrically about the major axis on a second side of the minor axis opposite the first side, and wherein the upper arcuate cut or perforation and the lower arcuate cut or perforation have a larger radius of curvature than that of at least a portion of the outer cuts or perforations near the major axis;
• and
• wherein the cuts or perforations define at least one pad section configured to be detachable from the pad.