INPWT on Wound Complications & Clinical Outcomes After Lower Extremity Sarcoma Surgery Preop Radiation Therapy Patients (VAC)

The Effect of INPWT on Wound Complications and Clinical Outcomes Following Lower Extremity Sarcoma Surgery in Patients Treated With Preoperative Radiation Therapy: A Multicentre Randomized Controlled Trial

Project Summary - Aggressive soft tissue cancers are commonly treated with radiation followed by surgery. These wounds have a very high rate of wound complications and infection (30%), resulting in more surgeries, longer hospital stays and complex nursing care. Previous research shows that negative pressure (vacuum) dressings applied to the incision at the end of surgery can reduce these complications. The Investigator and his team across Canada will perform a clinical trial comparing standard dressings to these vacuum dressings. The results of this study have the potential to immediately improve the quality of life of soft tissue cancer patients. It can also decrease the amount of time required in hospital and reduce the cost to the Canadian healthcare system.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Soft-tissue Sarcoma; Wound Complication
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Incisional Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (INPWT); Other: Wound Dressing

Detailed Description

This is a multi-center randomized clinical trial lead by the Investigator from the Ottawa Hospital and six other orthopedic cancer centers. The Investigator and the team will be recruiting 248 patients diagnosed with soft tissue cancer who will be treated with radiation therapy followed by surgery. Each of these patients will be randomly assigned to receiving either 7 days of vacuum dressing (Incisional Negative Pressure Wound Therapy) or a standard dressing. Besides this, patients will receive as identical care as possible. The team will then closely follow these patients over a period of 4 month to examine differences in wound complications, length of hospital stay, patient quality of life, patient satisfaction and function. Statistical analysis will be completed by The Ottawa Methods Center and ethical approval will be obtained at each participating site.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 291
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Yusra K Al-Mosuli; Phone Number: 74709 6137378920; Email: yalmosuli@ohri.ca

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Ontario
    • Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1H 8L6
      • Recruiting
      • The Ottawa Hospital
      • Contact: Yusra Al Mosuli; Phone Number: 74709 613-737-8920; Email: yalmosuli@ohri.ca
  • Quebec
    • Montreal, Quebec, Canada
      • Recruiting
      • McGill University Health Center
      • Contact: Yusra Al-mosuli; Phone Number: 613-737-8920; Email: yalmosuli@ohri.ca

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients 18 years of age and older and are able to provide written consent.
• Patients with lower extremity soft tissue sarcoma confirmed by tissue pathology.Each patient must have local cross sectional imaging (CT or MRI) and a staging CT chest.
• Patients eligible for treatment with preoperative radiation therapy followed by limb salvage surgery.
• Patients for which a primary closure must be attained at the time of surgery.
• Patient must be available for postoperative follow-up at the treating center.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who are less than 18 years of age.
• Patients with a benign disease or with prior radiation to the anatomic region in the remote past (not associated with current treatment radiation plans).
• Patients who underwent surgical amputation
• Patients in which primary closure was not achieved (including free flaps and split thickness skin grafts).
• Patients with a life expectancy less than 120 days.
• Patients who have an allergy or sensitivity to adhesive dressings.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: VAC Wound Dressing; Limb salvage surgery is performed on sarcoma patients 4-6 week post radiotherapy. These patients will be randomized to receive 7 days of Incisional Negative pressure wound therapy.	Other: Incisional Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (INPWT); A total of 291 patients will be randomized to receive 7 days of Incisional Negative pressure wound dressing. The dressing will be removed 1 week after surgery.
Active Comparator: Control Wound Dressing; Limb salvage surgery is performed on sarcoma patients 4-6 week post radiotherapy. These patients will be randomized to receive standard gauze dressing with no negative pressure application.	Other: Wound Dressing; A total of 291 patients will be randomized for standard gauze dressing. This dressing requires no pressure and is applied according to the current standard dressing procedures of the institution. The dressing will be changed every 2-3 days.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Wound Complication including re-operation for superficial or deep site infection	Wound requiring deep wound packing to an area greater than 2cm in length; Wound requiring persistent dressing changes for greater than 6 weeks. Wound packing and persistent requirement to change the dressing will reflect if the patient has a wound complication.	120 days post op

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
patient satisfaction	Patient satisfaction will be evaluated by validated questionnaires.	All within this 120 day post-op
Functional outcome	Secondary outcomes include length of stay in hospital,	120 days postop
Overall cost	A cost analysis will be performed by evaluating the average inpatient cost per day, number of emergency department and clinic visits, cost of secondary procedures cost of INPWT and cost of home care visits.	120 days

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Dr. J. Werier
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Joel Werier, Surgeon

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 1, 2022
• Primary Completion (Estimated): January 1, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): January 28, 2028

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 1, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 1, 2017
• First Posted (Actual): June 5, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 2, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 26, 2026
• Last Verified: February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Therapy; Sarcoma; Wound
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neoplasms; Neoplasms by Histologic Type; Neoplasms, Connective and Soft Tissue; Wounds and Injuries; Sarcoma; Equipment and Supplies; Bandages
• Other Study ID Numbers: 20170154

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No