Negative pressure wound therapy has emerged as a fundamental medical device used for the management of complex wounds. Its use spans multiple disciplines in surgery, medicine, and nursing. Multiple variants on the original design allow for specific applications, indications, and anatomical locations. Negative pressure wound therapy is used to expediate wound closure or coverage, provide irrigation to cleanse wounds, decrease complications associated with closed incisions, stabilization of open abdomens, and provide peri-wound management. This chapter will introduce the topic of negative pressure wound therapy and provide the foundation for the more detailed discussion that will follow in the subsequent chapters.