A Prospective Study to Evaluate the Post-Operative Wound Dehiscence Rate after Midline Laparotomy for Emergency or Elective Surgery: An Hospital Based Study

ABSTRACT

Background: The present study was undertaken to assess theproportion of Burst abdomen in post midline laparotomypatients, using Interrupted X suture versus Continuous suturetechnique in sheath closure.Materials & Methods: A comparative prospective hospitalbased study done on 50 patients reporting to the Surgery dept.,RVRS Medical College and attached groups of MahatmaGandhi Hospital, Bhilwara, Rajasthan. After taking writteninformed consent and were equally divided into all cases eachin the study group (interrupted X suture) and control group(continuous suture). All the patients scheduled to undergo amidline laparotomy for emergency or elective reasons. Patientsyounger than 18 years of age, patients who had undergone aprevious laparotomy for any condition (or had a incisionalhernia or burst abdomen at presentation) and patients whorequired a re – exploration in post op course were excludedfrom the present study.Results: Our study showed that the mean age of patients was45 years in both groups. Male to female ratio was 2.51 ininterrupted X-suture group and 1.51 in continuous suturegroup. The 40% dirty wound was found in interrupted X-suturegroup and 32% continuous suture group. Because interruptedsuture use more in dirty wound during patients selection. Thewound infection, dehiscence and incisional hernia were mostlyoccurred in continuous suture group as compared tointerrupted X-suture group.Conclusion: We concluded that the wound infection,dehiscence and incisional hernia were mostly occurred incontinuous suture group as compared to interrupted X-suturegroup in our study.