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Your partner in at-home wound healing

Let’s keep your V.A.C.® Therapy on track

Consistent wound care is essential for positive outcomes. Use the resources on this page to help ensure you and your caregivers can successfully continue your V.A.C.® Therapy.

In-home nurse interacting with a patient that has a ActiVAC Therapy Unit attached to patient's leg.
I’m starting V.A.C.® Therapy My V.A.C.® Therapy is in process I’ve finished V.A.C.® Therapy Device information MyWoundHealing app Additional resources
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I’m starting V.A.C.® Therapy
My V.A.C.® Therapy is in process
I’ve finished V.A.C.® Therapy
Device information
MyWoundHealing app
Additional resources

Important reminder

The Solventum™ ActiV.A.C.™ Therapy kit is a rental unit that needs to be returned when therapy is complete to avoid additional charges.
Do not dispose of the blue bag on top of the case — it is needed to return the device.
Watch the video to learn how to return your device

Find more information about your device

About your Solventum™ ActiV.A.C.™ Therapy Unit

The ActiV.A.C.™ Therapy Unit is ideal for patients transitioning to home care. It’s a portable negative pressure wound therapy unit designed for mobile patients to help them resume their activities of daily living while still receiving the proven wound healing benefits of Solventum™ V.A.C.® Therapy.

  • Lightweight — weighs just over 2 lbs. 

  • Smaller unit designed to be worn close to the body comfortably
  • Easy-to-use, single touch therapy on/off operation
  • Alarm notifications are easy to recognize and resolve
  • 14-hour battery life
Read troubleshooting document Watch troubleshooting video
Image of ActiVAC therapy unit against a dark green background.

About your Solventum™ Prevena™ Therapy or Prevena™ Plus Therapy 125 Unit

Prevena™ is a versatile and flexible incision management solution that delivers continuous -125mmHg negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) over closed incisions for various anatomical locations.

  • Up to 14 days* of continuous NPWT 

  • Helps hold incision edges together1 

  • Reduces lateral tensions of sutured/stapled incision 1,‡
  • Removes fluids and infectious materials 2,†
Visit Prevena patient site View troubleshooting guides
Image of the Prevena 125 and Prevena Plus 125 therapy unit against a dark green background.

About your Solventum™ V.A.C.® Peel and Place Dressing

Solventum™ V.A.C.® Peel and Place Dressing is the first V.A.C.® Therapy dressing that can be worn for up to seven days,3 which means you can receive consistent and effective NPWT with fewer dressing changes.

  • Average 2-minute application**4
  • 2.4 times greater granulation tissue thickness††5
  • 33% greater wound volume reduction††5
Review patient guide
Image of VAC Peel and Place medium dressing with a SensaTRAC pad.

Legal

* Dressing change required at 7 days

† In a canister

‡ In computer bench models

** In a simulated use test with 12 nurse and surgeon users. Average time of 01:48.

†† Compared to Solventum™ Traditional NPWT foam dressing. In porcine model on open wounds. Information contained within conducted animal studies has not been evaluated in humans.

1. Wilkes RP, Kilpadi DV, Zhao Y, Kazala R, McNulty A. Closed incision management with negative pressure wound therapy (CIM): Biomechanics. Surg Innov. 2012 March 1;19(1):67-75.
2. Kilpadi DV, Cunningham MR. Evaluation of closed incision management with negative pressure wound therapy (CIM): Hematoma/seroma and involvement of the lymphatic system. Wound Repair Regen. 2011;19(5):588-96.
3. SAT-BSER-05-869347 VAC Peel and Place BSER. 510(k) K222859.
4. SAT-MTF-05-995965 Marketing study for Solventum™ V.A.C.® Peel and Place Dressing. 2023.
5. SAT-MTF-05-982101 Evaluation of V.A.C. Peel and Place Dressing Concepts in Full-Thickness Excisional Wounds. 2023. Allen D, Robinson T, Schmidt M, Kieswetter K. Preclinical assessment of novel longer-duration wear negative pressure wound therapy dressing in a porcine model. Wound Rep Reg. 2023;31;S3:349-359.

For additional resources, download the MyWoundHealing mobile app

Track your progress, get help with your device, order additional supplies and learn more about V.A.C.® Therapy.

Download from App Store Download from Google Play
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Track your progress

Quickly see the progress you’ve made using V.A.C.® Therapy.

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Get help with your device

Troubleshoot alerts or issues with the device or dressing.

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Easily reorder supplies

You or your caregiver can easily order new supplies as needed.

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Learn about V.A.C.® Therapy

Find out why V.A.C.® Therapy was the right choice for you and how it works.

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I’m starting V.A.C.® Therapy

Review the resources below to learn more about the rental process and using your Solventum™ ActiV.A.C.™ Therapy kit.

FAQs

We’ve collected a list of common questions about starting on V.A.C.® Therapy. You can contact us if your question is not addressed here.

V.A.C.® Therapy is a medical device that promotes wound healing by applying negative pressure (a vacuum) to your wound. Your wound is covered by a dressing that protects the injured area. The V.A.C.® Therapy works by bringing together your wound edges, removing blood and fluid that may contain infectious substances, and promoting new tissue growth, also called granulation.

For several years clinicians have worked with Solventum to understand the optimal amount of negative pressure to apply to a wound to promote healing while not causing additional damage to the wound. Think of this like you think about your medicine. If you take too much, you can get sicker. If you don't take enough, the medicine won't work as well. The same applies to negative pressure and the management of the wound. For that reason, it is important that you do not change the settings on your V.A.C.® Therapy Unit unless instructed to do so by your healthcare provider. These settings control how much negative pressure is applied to your wound. Also, never remove your wound covering unless told to do so by your doctor or nurse.

To give your wound the best chance to heal while on V.A.C.® Therapy, you should leave the unit running and on the wound for a least 22 hours every day. That may seem like a lot of time, but this helps to promote healing.

The length of time to heal a wound is different for every patient. General conditions, size, location of the wound and nutritional status can affect the time it takes for a wound to heal. To give your wound the best chance to heal while on V.A.C.® Therapy, you should leave the unit running and on the wound for at least 22 hours every day. That may seem like a lot of time, but this helps to promote healing. Your doctor or nurse will discuss when and why V.A.C.® Therapy may end.

V.A.C.® Therapy has created an environment that helps to promote wound healing for millions of patients worldwide. Doctors, nurses, and hospitals all rely on V.A.C.® Therapy as an advanced wound therapy to help their patients heal.

The V.A.C.® Therapy is a medical device system that helps wound heal by delivering negative pressure (a vacuum) to the wound through a special dressing and therapy unit. This creates an environment that promotes the wound healing process.
This negative pressure helps:

  • Draw wound edges together
  • Remove wound fluids and infectious materials
  • Promote granulation tissue formation (the connective tissues in healing wounds)

V.A.C.® Therapy is a medical device system that delivers negative pressure (a vacuum) to the wound through a special dressing and therapy unit, which creates an environment that promotes wound healing:

  • Provide a moist wound healing environment
  • Reduce wound odor
  • Reduce the need for daily dressing changes

Most patients describe V.A.C.® Therapy as a non-painful, mild pulling sensation that, in most cases, is not noticeable after a few minutes. Wound comfort may vary by individual person. The wound may become tender or itch as it heals; this is usually a good sign. If itching or discomfort persists, please call your doctor.

Yes. The V.A.C.® Therapy is lightweight and was specifically designed to provide flexibility and freedom of mobility, your ability to move around depends on your condition, the wound location and the treatment your doctor has prescribed.

Your doctor may prescribe Solventum™ V.A.C.® Granufoam™ Dressing or Solventum™ V.A.C.® Whitefoam™ Dressing for your wound type. The V.A.C.® Granufoam™ Dressing will shrink down and wrinkle like a raisin when V.A.C.® Therapy is working. The V.A.C.® Whitefoam Dressing may only have a few wrinkles.

Documents

My V.A.C.® Therapy is in process

Find helpful information and tips on using your Solventum™ ActiV.A.C.™ Therapy kit.

Watch video

ActiV.A.C.™ system alert and troubleshooting

FAQs

Below you will find some of the most frequently asked questions from patients on V.A.C.® Therapy.

Proper wound care management is needed to heal your wound. Your doctor has prescribed a V.A.C.® Therapy System for your care. A doctor or nurse is responsible for directing the use of the system, including therapy application and dressing changes.

Insurance Payor requirements include a current prescription from the treating prescriber and wound measurements/assessments be collected by your clinical care team for each month of therapy.  It is important to keep all scheduled medical care appointments.

  • Specifically, a licensed clinician will need to measure your wound(s) and provide those measurements at least monthly, depending on your insurance carrier.
  • If Solventum does not receive this medical data from your medical professional, we cannot bill your insurance. Arrangements will be made to either pick up the V.A.C.® Therapy System or if you would like to continue therapy, have you sign an Advance Beneficiary Notice to accept personal responsibility for payment due to the lack of medically necessary documentation.

A family caregiver or friend can help you by reminding you how important it is to keep your V.A.C.® Therapy on. Also, when directed by your doctor or nurse and only after proper training your caregiver can assist in.

  • Canister changes
  • Responding to therapy unit alarms
  • Monitoring the therapy
  • Reordering supplies

First, call your local emergency number (i.e. 911). After you call local emergency, call your doctor or nurse. For all other concerns, refer to the Patient Safety Information in the Therapy Information Guide provided with your Solventum™ V.A.C.® Therapy Unit.

When you are down to one case of dressings or five canisters, you can order more supplies using MyWoundHealing™ Mobile App (download from Apple App Store or Google Play) to enter your order or call directly at 1-800-275-4524 to order more. Please allow at least 3-5 business days for delivery.

There are 2 different types of ActiV.A.C. Therapy System carrying cases, which vary by the type of therapy unit you have. Position the unit so that the touch screen, power button and charge port are visible through the cut-outs on the carrying case.

  • Keep the therapy unit in the upright position.
  • Keep the therapy unit in the carrying case when in use.
  • Keep the touch screen facing up if the therapy unit is placed on a level surface such as a table. Use the adjustable strap to wear the carrying case across your chest.

Do not wrap the carrying case strap, power cord or dressing tubing around neck.

ActiV.A.C. Therapy System contains a rechargeable battery. This battery is charged using the power supply and cord that comes with the unit. The battery is not user accessible or serviceable. To avoid damage to the therapy unit, use only the power supply and cord that come with the unit.It should take about 6 hours to fully charge the battery. Once fully charged the therapy unit will provide up to 14 hours of use.

It is recommended that you clean your ActiV.A.C. Therapy Unit weekly.

Cleaning the touch screen

  1. Press the Screen Guard button on the Home screen.
  2. Use a soft cloth to gently clean the touch screen.
  3. Press the 1 button then the 2 button on the Screen Guard screen to return to the Home screen.
  • Do not use any liquid on the touch screen
  • Do not press too hard on the touch screen while cleaning.

Cleaning the therapy unit

  1. 1. Unplug the therapy unit.
  2. Clean the therapy unit and carrying case with a damp cloth and mild soap and water solution.
  • Do not use bleach.

Leak Alarm

This alarm is fixed by finding and stopping the leak.

  1. Check the tubing connectors between the dressing and the canister. Make sure they are properly locked.
  2. Make sure the canister is properly installed onto the therapy unit. When the canister is properly installed, it cannot be removed by gently pulling it away from the unit.
  3. Use the Solventum™ Seal Check™ Button to find the leak at the dressing.
  4. Make sure your therapy is on.
  5. Using light pressure, move your hand and fingers slowly around the edges of the drape and the Solventum™ SensaT.R.A.C.™ Pad.
  6. Watch the bar graph and listen to the audible tone. The bar will get shorter and the frequency of the audible tone will decrease when the leak is found.
  7. If the leak persists or you cannot find the leak, call your doctor, nurse or 1-800-275-4524.

Battery critical alarm

This alarm is fixed by recharging the battery.

  1. Connect the therapy unit to a wall outlet using the power supply.
  2. Press Reset to return to the Patient Mode Home Screen.
  3. Make sure your therapy is on. The On/Off button will be green.
  4. Press the On/Off button to restart therapy if needed.

Canister full therapy interrupted alarm

This alarm is fixed by changing the canister.

  1. Use the graduated marks on the canister to check the fluid level. A full canister is about 300 mL.
  2. If the canister is not full, press Cancel.
  3. If the canister is full, change the canister.
  4. Press Reset to return to the Patient Mode Home Screen.
  5. Restart therapy by pressing On/Off.

Canister not engaged alarm

This alarm is fixed by reinstalling the canister.

  1. Press the canister latch to remove the canister. Inspect the canister and therapy unit for:
    • Debris between canister and therapy unit
    • Two silicone seals
    • Two canister bumpers
  2. If seals or bumpers are missing contact Solvnetum.
  3. Reinstall the canister, make sure that it is fully engaged and latched. An audible click should be heard when the canister is properly installed.
  4. Press Reset to return to the Home Screen.
  5. Press On/Off to restart therapy.
  6. If the alarm cannot be fixed, call 1-800-275-4524 or your healthcare provider.

Blockage alarm therapy interrupted

This alarm is fixed by checking the tubing for crimps kinks or blockages.

  1. Make sure both clamps on the tubing are open.
  2. Make sure the tubing is not kinked, crimped, or blocked in any way.
  3. If the Blockage Alarm Therapy Interrupted remains after completing steps 1 and 2, lower the therapy unit and tubing to level with or below the wound site.
  4. Press Reset to return to the Patient Mode Home Screen.If the alarm persists or you cannot find the blockage, call 1-800-275-4524 or your healthcare provider.

Low pressure alarm therapy interrupted

This alarm is fixed by checking the tubing.

  1. Make sure both clamps on the tubing are open.
  2. Make sure the tubing is not kinked, crimped, or blocked in any way.
  3. If the Low-Pressure Therapy Interrupted Alarm remains after completing steps 1 and 2, lower the therapy unit and tubing to level with or below the wound site.
  4. Press Reset to return to the Patient Mode Home Screen.
  5. If the alarm persists or you cannot find the blockage, call 1-800-275-4524 or your healthcare provider.

Therapy inactive alarm

This alarm is fixed by restarting therapy.

  1. Press Reset to return to the Patient Mode Home Screen.
  2. Press On/Off to restart therapy.

If therapy is not desired, turn the therapy unit off using the power button on the front of the unit.

Warning: If the therapy unit will be off for more than two hours, call your doctor or nurse right away. Without power to the therapy unit, your dressing will need to be replaced

System error alarm

This alarm is fixed by restarting the therapy unit.

  1. Record the error number.
  2. Turn the unit Off and then On using the Power button on the front of the unit. If the alarm persists, call 1-800-275-4524. Be sure to give them the error number.

Warning: If the therapy unit will be off for more than two hours, call your doctor or nurse right away. Without power to the therapy unit, your dressing will need to be replaced

Service timer expired alert

This alarm is fixed by restarting the therapy unit.

  1. Record the error number.
  2. Turn the unit Off and then On using the Power button on the front of the unit. If the alarm persists, call 1-800-275-4524. Be sure to give them the error number.

Warning: If the therapy unit will be off for more than two hours, call your doctor or nurse right away. Without power to the therapy unit, your dressing will need to be replaced

Documents

I’ve finished V.A.C.® Therapy

Find helpful information and tips on using your Solventum™ ActiV.A.C.™ Therapy kit.

FAQs

Below you will find some of the most frequently asked questions from patients on V.A.C.® Therapy.

After V.A.C.® Therapy is complete, it is likely that your body is still healing. Your doctor may have suggested another type of wound dressing to help you continue healing, or may even perform surgery such as applying a skin graft.

It is important to understand that your body is still working to become whole again and it is important that you protect the skin and surrounding area from reinjury. This area will never be as strong as it once was so you need to be extra careful. Keep a close eye on the wound site and inform your doctor or nurse if the wound seems to look worse. Below are a few questions many ask when they have finished V.A.C.® Therapy.

  1. Disposable items (e.g. tubing, connectors, clamps, canisters, dressings, booklets, fabric carrying case), whether used or unused, should not be returned to Solventum. Instead, they should be discarded per state, local, regional and national laws and regulations. Your healthcare provider can help with this information.
  2. Place the ActiV.A.C. Therapy Unit and power cord into the black hard case.
  3. Place the case into the blue shipping bag. The prepaid shipping label comes attached to the blue shipping bag.
  4. Drop off at your local shipping location using the pre-paid label. There is no cost to you. If you are unable to drop off at your local courier shipping location, please contact Solventum at 1-800-275-4524, press 2, 45995# 24/7 and Solventum will coordinate the return. Do not call the shipping courier directly this may result in you being charged.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle including proper diet and exercise routine are key to managing your condition and may help to reduce the potential for wound recurrence.

  • Work with your doctor to create a meal plan specific to your condition, that you can maintain
  • Make monitoring of your blood pressure and blood sugar a daily routine
  • Work with your doctor on a recommended daily exercise routine
  • If you are a smoker, ask about smoking cessation programs
  • Check your feet daily for sores, inform your doctor if one occurs

These are just some of the recommended steps to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Ask your doctor or nurse for daily tasks specific to your condition.

The length of time to heal a wound is different for every patient. General conditions, size and location of the wound, and nutritional status can affect the time it takes for a wound to heal. Your doctor will determine when your wound treatment will end.

Review your wound care plan with your doctor or nurse at your next visit. Determine if the nurse from your doctor's office, home health agency or a wound care clinic will be changing your wound dressing after V.A.C.® Therapy.

The MyWoundHealing™ Mobile App has a user friendly tool available to help you journal your wound progress called My Healing Tracking. Ask your nurse or caregiver to assist you in capturing an image and measurements at each dressing change to review with your doctor at your next visit.

Documents