SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kinetic Concepts, Inc. (NYSE: KCI) today announced that its groundbreaking V.A.C.Via^™ Negative Pressure Wound Therapy System has been granted reimbursement status and will be listed on the U.K. Drug Tariff beginning August 1, 2011. The V.A.C.Via^™ Therapy System is a next-generation negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) solution that offers clinicians and patients an off-the-shelf, portable healing technology with the proven benefits of V.A.C.^® Therapy. The technology provides the healing power of V.A.C.^® Therapy for low- to moderate-exudating wounds while offering simplicity, mobility and convenience to both physicians and patients.

“The economic benefits of the V.A.C.Via^™ System are clear: patients are able to leave the hospital in a quicker and more seamless manner by eliminating waiting in the hospital just for therapy to arrive. This presents a benefit to both patients and providers,” said Mike Genau, global president, KCI’s Active Healing Solutions^™ business unit. “This decision by the U.K. health authorities to reimburse KCI’s V.A.C.Via^™ System in the home will offer a tremendous advantage to patients and the medical community alike, helping to reduce costs and provide positive clinical outcomes.”

With the V.A.C.Via^™ System, therapy may be initiated in a variety of care settings, from the hospital to outpatient clinics. For patients, the V.A.C.Via^™ System’s portable, discreet, easy-to-operate design enables them to return to home or work without therapy interruption. For providers, this for-sale device that can be kept on the shelf at facilities may allow for earlier patient discharge, potentially reducing length of stay. The V.A.C.Via^™ System provides all the benefits of traditional V.A.C.^® Therapy for less complex wounds with minimal to moderate levels of wound exudates in a disposable form. It is an example of an acute therapy that can also be delivered in the home, as outlined in the Department of Health white paper Equity to Excellence: Liberating the NHS.

“The development of this device really enables a patient-centered approach to care. We can now treat patients from the comfort of their own home in combination with state-of-the-art care,” said Dr. Toby Richards, vascular surgeon, University College Hospital, London. “Because it is a portable and disposable system, the V.A.C.Via^™ System reduces National Health Service costs and frees up hospital beds, relieving pressure on the system. Ultimately, it is better for patients to be at home recovering with their families and daily activities.”

The V.A.C.Via^™ System is powered by Vortis^™ Technology, which is an extremely small, innovative negative pressure therapy pump that allows for delivery of V.A.C.^® Therapy in a more portable, virtually silent and discreet manner. The V.A.C.Via^™ System technology is built on the foundations of V.A.C.^® Therapy, the only wound care technology substantiated by 25 randomized controlled trials and more than 550 peer-reviewed articles. The V.A.C.Via^™ System takes that science and makes the entire process – hospital to home – simpler, more mobile and outcome-driven.

Advancing KCI’s position as a leader in NPWT, the V.A.C.Via^™ System is part of a broader product portfolio strategy to extend the healing benefits of negative pressure therapy to more patients and conditions.

For more information about KCI please visit www.kci1.com.

About KCI

Kinetic Concepts, Inc. (NYSE:KCI) is a leading global medical technology company devoted to the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of innovative, high-technology therapies and products for the wound care, tissue regeneration and therapeutic support system markets. Headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, KCI's success spans more than three decades and can be traced to a history deeply rooted in innovation and a passion for significantly improving the healing and the lives of patients around the world. The company employs approximately 7,100 people and markets its products in more than 20 countries. For more information about KCI and how its products are changing the practice of medicine, visit www.KCI1.com.

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