Negative-pressure wound therapy is a technique to achieve wound healing in patients with non-healing wounds; vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy is a technique to accelerate the healing of non-healing ulcers that fail to heal on their own (primary healing). The efficacy of VAC dressings has been demonstrated in several randomized controlled studies, which have shown significantly faster wound healing rates compared to conventional wound therapy.

The vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) has proved to be very promising in the management of wounds, especially difficult large wounds with cumbersome dressings, increasing the chances of infection. Since 65% of Indian population belongs to lower class or lower middle class, this approach of management works wonders. It’s much more feasible and is a much more cost effective idea. Though there are various commercially prepared and manufactured vacuum assisted closure dressing materials, these are often unavailable or unaffordable to patients in developing countries. NPWT systems commercially available (VAC™ system, KCI Inc., USA) are costly precluding widespread use. Our “cheaper” vacuum dressing has been found to be, affordable for our patients and most importantly effective in wound management. The aim of this paper is to describe the use of our own Vacuum Assisted Closure and to highlight its effectiveness. The cheaper, and easier method of vacuum dressing has a promising potential, and can be used in any basic medical set up, ranging from rural to urban settings. This could be a paradigm shift in the management of long term wounds in smaller set ups. It also brings about a change in the perspective of expensive advances in the surgical field.