Gateway Wound Care — Kansas City delivers negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) at home for complex wounds. NP-led setup, dressing changes, and monitoring. Medicare covered when criteria are met.
Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) — commonly called a “wound vac” — is an evidence-based treatment that uses a small, portable vacuum pump to apply gentle, continuous or intermittent suction to a wound through a sealed foam or gauze dressing. The pump is connected to the dressing via thin tubing, with a disposable canister collecting exudate. Typical pressure settings range from 75 to 125 mmHg below atmospheric pressure.
The mechanism is mechanical and biological. The negative pressure actively removes wound drainage and interstitial fluid, reducing edema in the wound bed. It increases local blood flow, stimulates granulation tissue formation, draws wound edges together mechanically, and helps stabilize the wound environment to resist bacterial colonization. In the right wound, NPWT can dramatically accelerate healing compared with standard dressings alone.
Gateway Wound Care — Kansas City initiates and manages NPWT in patient homes, ALFs, and SNFs throughout the KC MO metro. Our NPs handle device setup, dressing changes (typically every 48–72 hours), Medicare LCD documentation, supplier coordination, and the clinical decision-making that determines when to advance, modify, or discontinue therapy.
NPWT is appropriate for many complex, non-healing wounds. Gateway NPs evaluate each wound against Medicare Local Coverage Determination (LCD) criteria before initiating therapy.
NPWT is NOT appropriate for wounds with exposed vessels, untreated osteomyelitis, active necrotic tissue requiring debridement first, fistulas to organs or body cavities, or malignancy in the wound. Our NPs identify these contraindications during the initial assessment.
Our NP coordinates with the NPWT supplier to deliver the pump and supplies to the home. We install the initial dressing, verify seal, confirm pressure settings, train patient and family on alerts and canister changes, and document baseline wound measurements.
Standard NPWT dressing changes are every 48–72 hours. Our NPs perform every dressing change in the home, reassess the wound, adjust pressure or foam as appropriate, and photograph progress for chart documentation.
Medicare NPWT coverage requires specific documentation: wound type, standard care trial, measurable progress, and ongoing medical necessity. Our NPs document every visit to the LCD standard and communicate with the supplier to maintain coverage.
We respond to seal failures, pump alerts, and clinical changes between scheduled visits. Our NPs are available for same-day troubleshooting visits when the patient or family reports a problem.
Call (314) 689-1320 or fax to (314) 689-1318. Providers may submit online at woundcarekc.com/refer.
We assess the wound, document Medicare LCD criteria, coordinate with the NPWT supplier, and typically have the pump delivered within 24–48 hours across the KC MO metro.
Our NP places the first dressing, verifies seal and pressure, trains the patient and family, and establishes an every-48-to-72-hour visit cadence for ongoing management.