Smith & Nephew launches PICO 7Y, the first portable single use negative pressure wound therapy system to treat two wounds simultaneously

Smith & Nephew (LSE: SN, NYSE: SNN), the global medical technology business, is pleased to announce the European launch of the new PICO 7Y Single Use Negative Pressure Wound Therapy System (sNPWT) with AIRLOCK™ Technology. This is the first sNPWT system to include an innovative integrated Y extension enabling the utilisation of two dressings concurrently from one pump, in practice allowing for two wounds to be addressed at the same time, thereby potentially reducing cost.

PICO 7Y sNPWT includes extended soft port and multisite dressings, designed to conform to complex anatomies.[1] It is particularly suited for use on multiple wounds, such as breast surgical procedures. PICO 7Y also includes a check dressing indicator, which is intended to reduce unnecessary dressing changes and wastage[2],[3] and is 23% quieter than the first generation PICO,[4],[5] making it less intrusive for patients.

“With breast surgical procedures becoming more frequent,[6] increasingly complex, [7],[8] and with more women at high risk of breast cancer choosing to undergo risk-reducing surgery, such as bilateral prophylactic mastectomy,[9],[10] PICO 7Y is improving the delivery of therapy for what is currently an unmet need,” said Paolo Di Vincenzo, Smith & Nephew’s Senior Vice President Global Marketing of Advanced Wound Management. “PICO 7Y delivers effective therapy to two surgical wounds simultaneously with a unique patient friendly system, which we believe will help improve patient outcomes, patient management and health care professional efficiency across diverse clinical settings.” 

PICO 7Y is the latest addition to the PICO family of sNPWT products, which have revolutionised the use of negative pressure wound therapy by making a treatment, previously predominantly used in a hospital inpatient setting, available to a wider range of outpatients in a cost effective, portable solution.^[11],[12] PICO has been shown to significantly reduce wound complications following breast reduction surgery compared with standard dressings.^[13]* In a breast cancer study with patients undergoing therapeutic mammoplasty, PICO reduced the incidence of post-surgical wound dehiscence by 75% compared with standard care, thereby reducing the potential for delay in the commencement of adjuvant therapy.^[14**] There is a growing body of literature supporting PICO as an effective prophylactic treatment option for surgical site infections including the recent publication of a Medtech Innovation Briefing from the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)^[15].

It was confirmed that PICO 7Y met all relevant regulatory European requirements on 21 August 2018. Regulatory clearance in the US is pending.

_{*Absolute difference of 5% (10 patients); p=0.004. **Reduction in wound breakdown: 24 patients; PICO 4.2%; standard dressings 16.7%. Number of patients too small to test for statistical significance.}