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Johnson & Johnson MedTech Joins Experts to Define and Classify Surgical Site Outcomes

Healthcare experts call for consistent definitions in the assessment, reporting, and monitoring of surgical wounds

Healthcare experts call for consistent definitions in the assessment, reporting, and monitoring of surgical wounds
A standardized classification system offers potential to capture and treat underreported surgical site infections and other wound complications
 

Leeds, UK – December 9, 2024 – Johnson & Johnson MedTech has joined leading surgeons from around the world to initiate a standardized classification system for the global evaluation and reporting of surgical site outcomes (SSOs). Experts from across surgical specialties and healthcare disciplines aim to develop a standardized approach for surgeons and wound care teams to more fully capture the scope and incidence of postoperative complications, enabling improved approaches to prevention.

Wound complications including infections, bleeding, wound reopenings, and fluid collections result in a significant burden for patients and global healthcare systems. Despite the prevalence of these complications in perioperative care, post-operative wound outcomes are underreported1,2,3,4 and there is currently no comprehensive global standard for defining and monitoring.

Building on the company’s more than 135 years of leadership in surgery and significant work in reducing surgical site infections (SSIs), Johnson & Johnson MedTech is joining the effort to better define and standardize the evaluation of SSOs and measure the associated outcomes.

“As long-time partners to surgeons and surgical teams around the world, we know firsthand the impact that surgical complications can have on patient outcomes and the overall cost of care globally,” said Nisha Johnson, President, Wound Closure and Healing & Biosurgery, Johnson & Johnson MedTech. “The industry is calling for consistent definitions, standard solutions that improve outcomes, and a comprehensive approach to reporting and data collection that helps advance healing and improve the surgery experience for patients.”

Expanding beyond SSIs: addressing adverse Surgical Site Outcomes

Complications at the surgical wound site occur at higher rates than any other kind of adverse event in hospitalized patients5,6.

SSIs are common7, can be dangerous8 and costly9,10,11 and are often the focus of wound complication reporting12,13. However, SSIs are still underreported, largely due to improper and inconsistent identification methods among health systems.14,15,16 These infections often relate to other post-surgical wound complications including wound breakdown, fluid accumulation, and localized bleeding.

“When most people think about wounds, they think about surgical site infections, but wounds can dehisce, seromas can form, and hematomas can appear. All of these things need to be brought together in a common language so that we can describe the surgical site outcome for every single operation that includes every single type of surgical incision,” said Giles Bond-Smith*, MD, MBBS BSc, FRCS, a general surgeon at NHS Oxford Trust. “I am thrilled to come together with other experts in the field, from around the world, to advance our common language in surgery with the aim of reducing the occurrence of surgical complications for patients.”

Expanding surveillance beyond only SSIs by including other complications has the potential to support care teams so that wound complications are more consistently captured and reported, putting the focus on visibility into patient conditions and appropriate intervention and treatment.

“Clear definitions are the first step to attempt to classify all types of wound complications so that we can improve reporting to drive earlier intervention,” said Antonia Chen**, MD, MBA, an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in hip and knee replacements. “In orthopaedic surgery, wound complications vary relative to other specialties, with significant focus on closure-related interventions to manage dehiscence. Creating a system that fits across all specialties to address surgical site outcomes throughout the body can drive global consistency in care standards that the industry is missing today.”

Consistent reporting could fuel a data-informed, predictive future of surgical wound care
Digital solutions can help improve surveillance of surgical wound complications. Johnson & Johnson MedTech’s Polyphonic™ digital ecosystem will connect data across world-class surgical technologies, robotics, and surgical software while leveraging the global scale of Johnson & Johnson. Leveraging the Polyphonic™ ecosystem, the company will explore patient monitoring based on new, standard reporting guidelines as determined in SSO classification.

“Digital is a bridge to getting patients more involved in their surgical care,” said Shan Jegatheeswaran, Vice President, Digital, Johnson & Johnson MedTech. “Building on a foundation of standard definitions across the primary contributors to surgical site outcomes, digital solutions connecting surgical teams and patients can be used to encourage more reporting, better wound care management, and increased patient engagement. In the future, these kind of standard classification systems have the potential to enable more personalized models before, during, and after surgery.”

Surgical Solutions from Johnson & Johnson MedTech
Across Johnson & Johnson, we are tackling the world’s most complex and pervasive health challenges. For over 100 years, we have helped advance surgical care through our innovative portfolio across wound closure, adjunctive hemostats, surgical stapling and instruments, robotics and digital solutions. Together, with clinicians and healthcare experts around the world we are progressing what’s next in surgery to better solve patient needs in metabolic and cardiovascular disease, cancer, and aesthetics and reconstruction.

About Johnson & Johnson 
At Johnson & Johnson, we believe health is everything. Our strength in healthcare innovation empowers us to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured, where treatments are smarter and less invasive, and solutions are personal. Through our expertise in Innovative Medicine and MedTech, we are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow, and profoundly impact health for humanity. Learn more about our MedTech sector’s global scale and deep expertise in cardiovascular, orthopedics, surgery and vision solutions at https://www.jnjmedtech.com/en-GB . Follow us at @JNJMedTechUKIr  and on LinkedIn.

* Dr. Bond-Smith is a paid consultant for Johnson & Johnson MedTech.
** Dr. Chen is a paid consultant for Johnson & Johnson MedTech.

NOTE TO INVESTORS CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding, among other things: future operating and financial performance, product development, and market position and business strategy. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of Ethicon, Inc., Auris Health, Inc. and/or Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: economic factors, such as interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product research and development, including uncertainty of clinical success and obtaining regulatory approvals; uncertainty of commercial success for new and existing products; challenges to patents; the impact of patent expirations; the ability of the Company to successfully execute strategic plans, including restructuring plans; the impact of business combinations and divestitures; manufacturing difficulties or delays, internally or within the supply chain; product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; significant adverse litigation or government action, including related to product liability claims; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including tax laws and global health care reforms; trends toward health care cost containment; changes in behavior and spending patterns of purchasers of health care products and services; financial instability of international economies and legal systems and sovereign risk; increased scrutiny of the health care industry by government agencies; the Company’s ability to realize the anticipated benefits from the separation of the Company’s Consumer Health business; and the New Consumer Health Company’s ability to succeed as a standalone publicly traded company. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 1, 2023, including in the sections captioned “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Item 1A. Risk Factors,” and in Johnson & Johnson’s subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. Any forward-looking statement made in this release speaks only as of the date of this release. None of Ethicon, Inc., Auris Health, Inc. nor Johnson & Johnson undertakes to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments.

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© Johnson and Johnson and its affiliates 2024. M_EM_ETH_WOUN_394132 EMEA/UK

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Media contact:
Jennifer Holden
[email protected]