Comparison Between Conventional Wound Care Procedures and Negative Pressure Wound Therapy in Fournier’s Gangrene Patients

Objective: Fournier’s gangrene is a severe, rapidly progressing form of necrotizing fas ciitis affecting the external genitalia, perineum, and perianal regions. It is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality, even with modern sepsis management. While negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has emerged as a promising method to accelerate wound healing, its effectiveness in the Indonesian clinical setting remains underexplored. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of conventional wound care and NPWT in patients with Fournier’s gangrene.

Methods: This prospective cohort study enrolled 36 patients with Fournier’s gangrene. The primary outcomes were assessed based on several clinical parameters: pain, mea sured using the Visual Analog Scale; length of hospital stay; mortality; frequency of re-debridement; and the cost of wound care materials.

Results: The NPWT group demonstrated significantly better outcomes in several key areas. Patients treated with NPWT reported lower pain scores (4.06 ± 0.66) compared to those receiving conventional care (6.33 ± 0.84), a statistically significant difference (P = .001). Negative pressure wound therapy also resulted in a shorter average hospi tal stay (15.12 ± 4.86 days) compared to conventional care (20.06 ± 4.39 days), with a P-value of .049. Furthermore, wound care costs were significantly lower in the NPWT group ($570.24 ± $1761.74) than in the conventional care group ($985.71 ± $1213.42), with a P-value of .001.

Conclusion: Negative pressure wound therapy serves as an effective adjunct to con ventional care for Fournier’s gangrene. The findings suggest that NPWT significantly reduces pain, shortens hospital stays, and lowers treatment costs without increasing
mortality or the need for additional surgical debridement.

Cite this article as: Ramadhan MS, Siregar S, Mustafa A. Comparison between conventional wound care procedures and negative pressure wound therapy in Fournier’s gangrene patients. Urol Res Pract. 2025;51(5):203-207.