SAN ANTONIO--Kinetic Concepts, Inc. (NYSE: KCI) has introduced V.A.C.Via™ Therapy System, a next-generation negative pressure wound therapy solution that offers clinicians and patients a mobile healing technology with the proven benefits and outcomes of V.A.C.® Therapy. V.A.C.Via's™ design and engineering brings to the marketplace a combination of the lightest, most mobile and most intuitive technology in this space, to date. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared V.A.C.Via™ in March. It is planned for global launch in the third quarter.

"For more than 15 years, V.A.C.® Therapy has transformed the treatment of wounds, and we have taken this great healing technology and 're-revolutionized' it with patients in mind," said Catherine Burzik, KCI president and CEO. "The best thing the people of KCI can do is continue to create technologies that deliver convenience, comfort and healthy outcomes for patients. I envision a future where KCI delivers healing solutions with even greater mobility, off-the-shelf accessibility and broader application across all wound types."
Single-Patient-Use, For-Sale Product Delivers Benefits for Patients, Clinicians


V.A.C.Via™ provides multiple benefits. For patients, its portable, discreet, easy-to-operate design enables them to return to home or work as seamlessly as possible. For providers, the for-sale model to the hospital may allow for earlier patient discharge by reducing or eliminating the need for insurance authorizations before discharge. Its single-click functionality also makes training and treatment easier than ever.

These benefits create potential cost benefits-a hallmark of V.A.C.® Therapy, which has demonstrated reduced length of stay, fewer readmissions and reduced need for surgeries.1, 2, 3 Reducing hospital length of stay can deliver significant cost benefits: the average cost of one hospital day at a community hospital can be more than $1,8004.

"This product represents a win for patients, a win for providers and a win for clinicians at the point of care," according to Allen Gabriel, M.D., assistant professor, surgery, Loma Linda University Medical Center and chief of plastic surgery, Southwest Washington Medical Center. "It builds on V.A.C.® Therapy, taking its clinical efficacy and making it more convenient than ever. I've prescribed V.A.C.® Therapy for years and am convinced this is going to transform patient care. It simplifies the discharge process and that not only stands to increase the quality of care for patients, but also promises to reduce cost of care for hospitals."

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