This wound-vac thing is nothing short of miraculous. He had his entire belly slashed open from top to bottom and they didn't want it to heal from the outside in but from the inside out so the belly musculature would be strong.
So they left the whole thing open (after sewing the inner muscle tissue shut) and put big sponges in it, covered with a thin plastic film that adheres to the skin. A hose is stuck into that and a suction machine attached.
In some 10 days, the wound is a third of its size, and it seems to be healing faster every day. No scar in the healed areas. There will eventually be a scar when the wound is so small that the sponge (only one now) is discontinued and just a dressing applied.
We have a nurse coming in every other day to change the sponge. If you ever end up with an enormous wound, ask if it's possible to get a wound-vac instead of being stapled shut. The speed of healing defies reason, and infection is totally impossible.
We're continuing to progress, slowly but surely, and are in good spirits.