Objective To compare the improved continuous negative pressure sealing drainage with the traditional vacuum sealing drainage (VSD) in the efficacy of treating refractory wounds. Methods One hundred and four patients with refractory wounds in our Department of Orthopedics from January 2012 to April 2016 were included, and divided into improved therapy group (52 cases) and traditional VSD group (52 cases). The treatment effect, wound healing time, number of operations and treatment costs in the two groups were analyzed. Results The improved continuous negative pressure sealing drainage method had similar cure rate on refractory wounds as the traditional VSD (P > 0.05). However, the improved method significantly shortened the healing time, reduced the number of operations and the costs of treatment (P < 0.05). Conclusions The improved continuous negative pressure sealing drainage method is an effective way to treat refractory wounds.It can reduce the number of operations, alleviate the suffering and economic burden of patients.