Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has become a vital tool in the management of complex wounds since its commercialisation over 20 years ago. NPWT drains excess exudate and it believed to increase blood circulation and healing. In modern medicine, it utilises a closed sub-atmospheric pressure system which applies positive pressure to the surface of the wound. However, the roots of NWPT date back to ancient Egypt and China over 1000 BC with evidence of the use of cupping and fire. From the Roman era, of direct mouth suction on wounds, to the Russian innovation of mechanical vacuums on wounds. The modern technology of NWPT is steeped into the depths of medical history.