Kinetic Concepts has snagged 510(k) clearance to market its Vacuum Assisted Closure (VAC) system for patients healing from closed surgical incisions.
The new indication expands upon VAC's use as a general wound therapy, and the company is touting the benefits its tech can provide to patients and surgeons around the country, allowing doctors to customize the dressing size and use the device's negative-pressure technology to treat incisions of various lengths.
The clearance follows years of studies in various surgery fields, including cardiothoracic and abdominal wall reconstruction, all demonstrating the device's effectiveness in improving healing schedules and clinical outcomes, KCI said. The San Antonio, TX-based company specializes in wound care, and CMO Ron Silverman said expanding VAC into the surgical realm is an important development for KCI.
The company is still settling into life outside the publicly-traded world, following its $6.3 billion acquisition by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and the Public Sector Pension Investment Board in 2011. In January, the company named ex-St. Jude Medical ($STJ) chief Ronald Matricaria as its CEO. At the same time, the company has said it will pursue "strategic alternatives" for its therapeutic support systems unit, which could mean a sale.
- read KCI's release
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