Gateway Wound Care — Kansas City initiates and manages negative pressure wound therapy at your home or facility. No hospital stay required. Medicare accepted.
Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) — commonly called wound vac therapy — applies controlled sub-atmospheric pressure to a wound through a foam or gauze interface sealed beneath an occlusive dressing. A portable pump maintains continuous or intermittent negative pressure, which simultaneously draws wound edges together, promotes the formation of granulation tissue, reduces wound edema, and continuously removes excess fluid (exudate) from the wound bed.
NPWT is one of the most evidence-supported adjunctive wound care therapies available. It is particularly effective for complex wounds that are not progressing with standard dressings alone — including diabetic foot ulcers, pressure ulcers, post-surgical wounds, traumatic wounds, and skin graft recipient sites. The core mechanism — mechanical deformation of the wound bed — stimulates cell proliferation and angiogenesis at a biological level, accelerating the healing cascade in a way that topical dressings cannot replicate.
For Kansas City patients who qualify, Gateway Wound Care's nurse practitioners initiate NPWT directly at the bedside — no hospital admission, no outpatient clinic trip. We manage the therapy from initiation through discontinuation, performing regular dressing changes and clinical assessment visits throughout the Lee's Summit, Independence, Blue Springs, Liberty, Raytown, Gladstone, and broader KC MO metro service area.
Medicare covers NPWT under Local Coverage Determination (LCD) when the following conditions are met. Gateway verifies eligibility at no cost before initiating therapy.
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Wound Type | Diabetic foot ulcer, pressure ulcer (Stage III/IV), venous leg ulcer, surgical wound dehiscence, or traumatic wound |
| Prior Treatment | Wound has failed to respond to 30 days of conventional wound care with standard dressings |
| Wound Dimensions | Wound is of sufficient size and depth as documented in clinical notes (specific thresholds per wound type) |
| No Contraindications | No untreated osteomyelitis, no necrotic tissue with eschar, no malignancy in wound bed, no fistulas to organs or body cavities |
| Frequency of Assessment | Physician/NP visit within 30 days of initiation + every 30 days thereafter for continued coverage |
| Device Type | Single-use NPWT: additional coverage criteria per MAC policy; Gateway selects appropriate device per wound type and coverage |
Call (314) 689-1320 or fax to (314) 689-1318. We verify Medicare or insurance coverage for NPWT before the first visit — no surprises.
A Gateway NP evaluates the wound, confirms NPWT candidacy, selects the appropriate device and pressure settings, and initiates therapy at the bedside. We train you or your caregiver on monitoring the device between visits.
We perform NPWT dressing changes every 48–72 hours, assess wound response at each visit, and adjust pressure settings or transition the wound off NPWT when appropriate clinical endpoints are reached.
Portable NPWT devices allow full therapy to be delivered in the home or long-term care facility. Patients in Lee's Summit, Independence, Liberty, and throughout KC can receive the same quality of NPWT care they would get in a hospital — without leaving home.
Complex wound patients — particularly those with diabetes, immune compromise, or recent surgery — face elevated risk from hospital-acquired infections. Home-based NPWT eliminates that exposure while maintaining clinical rigor.
Every NPWT visit in Kansas City includes wound measurement, photography, clinical assessment, and documentation. Your care team and referring provider receive progress notes after each visit, maintaining full clinical transparency.
We verify NPWT coverage under Medicare, Medicaid, and most commercial plans before initiating therapy. Our billing team handles prior authorization and Medicare LCD documentation — you focus on healing.