Incisional negative pressure wound therapy to reduce perineal wound infection after abdominoperineal resection

We explored the effects of incisional negative pressure wound therapy in perineal wound infections after abdominoperineal resection. We retrospectively evaluated 146 patients who underwent abdominal perineal resection from December 2004 to December 2019 and compared conventional gauze dressing (controls) with incisional negative pressure wound therapy. We compared patients' characteristics, surgical factors, and perineal infection rates between groups, and patients' characteristics, surgical factors, and negative pressure therapy use between perineal infection vs non‐infection groups, as well as the risk factors for perineal infections. In the negative pressure therapy group, compared with controls, the number of men, smoking prevalence, blood transfusion, drainage via the perineal wound, and intraoperative blood loss were significantly lower (p < 0.05, p < 0.05, p < 0.05, p < 0.001, p < 0.01, respectively), and operation time was significantly longer (p < 0.05). Infections were significantly less common in the negative pressure group (p < 0.05). In the univariate analysis, the infection‐positive group had significantly higher laparoscopic surgery (p < 0.01) and negative pressure wound therapy‐free rates (p < 0.01), and significantly more intraoperative blood loss (p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis using these three factors and preoperative radiotherapy showed that incisional negative pressure wound therapy‐free status was a risk factor for infection. Incisional negative pressure wound therapy was beneficial in managing perineal wound infections after abdominoperineal resection.