Reduced-pressure medical dressings (100), systems, and methods involve a dressing (104) with a first barrier layer (112) that desolidifies when exposed to a fluid - typically a liquid - to form a treatment aperture in the first barrier that is used to deliver reduced pressure to a tissue site. The first barrier layer is formed from a desolidifying material. The system includes a drape (120) covering a second surface of a manifold (110) and a portion of the patient's epidermis (138) to provide a substantially sealed space (118) containing a manifold and the first barrier layer. Other systems, dressings, and methods are also disclosed.
