Removable subcuticular skin sutures in open appendicectomy; surgeons fear

To determine the frequency of wound infection with skin closure by removable subcuticular sutures in non complicated open appendectomy wound. Descriptive case series. Department of Surgery Railway Hospital Rawalpindi, Seven months and ten days, from 1[st] Nov, 2009 to 10[th] June, 2010. The study was carried out after taking approval from the hospital ethics committee. Seventy three adult patients of either sex admitted in department of surgery with diagnosis of acute appendicitis were included in the study by non probability consecutive sampling. All the patients were explained about the procedure and an informed written consent was obtained. Right grid iron abdominal incision centred over the Me Burney's point was used to open the abdomen. Appendicectomy was done. In all patients subcuticular stitches by using polypropylene 2/0 were applied to close the skin. All the patients were followed on 3[rd], 7th and 30[th] post operative day for examination of wound. Data was entered in the predesigned Proforma [annexed] for analysis. Out of 73 patients 6 [8.2%] suffered from wound infection. Successful open management of the infected wounds was done. Rest of the patients had uneventful recovery. Frequency of wound infection is negligible with removable subcuticular skin suture in non complicated open appendicectomy wound