 Despite the use of standard sterile technique and perioperative preventative antibiotics infections these complications continue to cause patient morbidity. In addition these complications increase the intensity and cost of care with an added estimated expense of 11,000 per incident. New strategies are needed to reduce these complications. Negative pressure wound therapy has the potential to prevent a variety of wound complications. One innovative strategy that has shown promise is the application of the Prevena dressing system over the closed surgical incision. The dressing consists of a sterile sponge that is placed over the incision followed by a plastic adhesive covering that is used to secure it to the skin forming an air-tight seal. The sponge is then connected by tubing to a vacuum that applies negative pressure to the closed system. This allows fluid to drain from the wound and into a container connected to the dressing. When compared to surgical dressing with sterile gauze and tape, the Prevena dressing system has the advantages of providing a sterile barrier, reducing tension on the incision, and removing fluid from the incision. Please refer to patient brochure for an illustration and further description of the Prevena dressing system. 