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Background: The most alarming post-operative consequences for patients and doctors are wound infection and dehiscence. Post-operative wound infection and dehiscence lengthen the hospital stay after surgery. Aims and Objectives: The present study examined the incidence of wound infection, wound dehiscence, duration of hospital stay, and burst abdomen between conventional and Hughes repair techniques of midline laparotomy wound closure. Materials and Methods: A 12-month prospective study was performed in the General Surgery Department at Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai. In total, 80 patients, divided randomly into two groups of 40 each, received emergency midline laparotomies for various reasons. The primary outcome measures the infection incidence, wound dehiscence, and burst abdomen at the end of 10 days by the assessing surgeon. Results: In the study group, 30 (75%) were males, and females were 10 (25%). In the control group, males were 29 (72.5%), and females were 11 (27.5%). The mean age in the study and control groups was 42.4±11.927 and 41.7±13.607, respectively. There was a significant difference in surgery duration between groups. Most patients, i.e., 27 (67.5%) and 19 (47.5%), had wound infection and dehiscence in the control group, respectively. There was a significant difference in wound infection (P=0.025), wound dehiscence (P=0.002), duration of hospital stay (P

Background: Tension-free abdominal closure is a primary tenet of laparotomy. But this concept neglects the baseline tension of the abdominal wall. Ideally, abdominal closure should be tailored to restore native physiologic tension. We sought to quantify the tension needed to re-establish the linea alba in patients undergoing exploratory laparotomy. Methods: Patients without ventral hernias undergoing laparotomy at a single institution were enrolled from December 2021 to September 2022. Patients who had undergone prior laparotomy were included. Exclusion criteria included prior incisional hernia repair, presence of an ostomy, large-volume ascites, and large intra-abdominal tumors. After laparotomy, a sterilizable tensiometer measured the quantitative tension needed to bring the fascial edge to the midline. Outcomes included the force needed to bring the fascial edge to the midline and the association of BMI, incision length, and prior lateral incisions on abdominal wall tension. Results: This study included 86 patients, for a total of 172 measurements (right and left for each patient). Median patient BMI was 26.4 kg/m2 (IQR 22.9;31.5), and median incision length was 17.0 cm (IQR 14;20). Mean tension needed to bring the myofascial edge to the midline was 0.97 lbs. (SD 1.03). Mixed-effect multivariable regression modeling found that increasing BMI and greater incision length were associated with higher abdominal wall tension (coefficient 0.04, 95% CI [0.01,0.07]; p = 0.004, coefficient 0.04, 95% CI [0.01,0.07]; p = 0.006, respectively). Conclusion: In patients undergoing laparotomy, the tension needed to re-establish the linea alba is approximately 1.94 lbs. A quantitative understanding of baseline abdominal wall tension may help surgeons tailor abdominal closure in complex scenarios, including ventral hernia repairs and open or burst abdomens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Incisional herniae (IH) are reported in 5–>20 % of patients undergoing open celiotomy, and can be linked to closure technique. The STITCH randomized trial favors a small bite technique for midline celiotomy closure with a 1-year IH rate of 13 % over larger bites (23 %). Methods: A continuous musculofascial mass closure with absorbable looped #1 PDS suture with 2-cm bite size was used for all open celiotomies. IH frequency and associated clinicopathologic factors were retrospectively analyzed from prospective data in 336 consecutive patients undergoing visceral resections by a single surgeon. Results: The study population included 192 men and 144 women, 81 % of whom had a cancer diagnosis, who underwent hepatobiliary, pancreatic, gastroesophageal, and colorectal resections, or a combination. The majority of patients (84 %) had subcostal incisions, and 10 % received a midline incision. At a median follow-up of 19.5 months, the overall IH rate was 3.3 %. Hernia rates were 2.5 % for subcostal margin, 2.9 % for midline, and 5.5 % for other incisions (p = 0.006). Median time to hernia detection was 492 days. Factors associated with IH were increased weight, abdominal depth/girth, male sex, spleen size, visceral fat, and body height (p ≤ 0.04 for all), but not type of resection, prior operations, underlying diagnosis, weight loss, adjuvant chemotherapy or radiation, incision length or suture to incision ratio. Conclusions: The described technique leads to a low IH rate of

Background: The most alarming post-operative consequences for patients and doctors are wound infection and dehiscence. Post-operative wound infection and dehiscence lengthen the hospital stay after surgery. Aims and Objectives: The present study examined the incidence of wound infection, wound dehiscence, duration of hospital stay, and burst abdomen between conventional and Hughes repair techniques of midline laparotomy wound closure. Materials and Methods: A 12-month prospective study was performed in the General Surgery Department at Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai. In total, 80 patients, divided randomly into two groups of 40 each, received emergency midline laparotomies for various reasons. The primary outcome measures the infection incidence, wound dehiscence, and burst abdomen at the end of 10 days by the assessing surgeon. Results: In the study group, 30 (75%) were males, and females were 10 (25%). In the control group, males were 29 (72.5%), and females were 11 (27.5%). The mean age in the study and control groups was 42.4±11.927 and 41.7±13.607, respectively. There was a significant difference in surgery duration between groups. Most patients, i.e., 27 (67.5%) and 19 (47.5%), had wound infection and dehiscence in the control group, respectively. There was a significant difference in wound infection (P=0.025), wound dehiscence (P=0.002), duration of hospital stay (P<0.001), and burst abdomen (P=0.02) between groups. Conclusion: Hughes repair is associated with less incidence of wound infection, wound dehiscence, burst abdomen, and duration of hospital stay compared to patients whose abdomen was closed using the conventional continuous technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the indications and management of grade III-IV postoperative complications in patients requiring vacuum-assisted open abdomen after debulking surgery for ovarian carcinomatosis. Retrospective study of prospectively collected data from patients who underwent a cytoreductive surgery by laparotomy for an epithelial ovarian cancer that required postoperative management of an open abdomen. An abdominal vacuum-assisted wound closure (VAWC) was applied in cases of abdominal compartmental syndrome (ACS) or intra-abdominal hypertension, to prevent ACS. The fascia was closed with a suture or a biologic mesh. The primary aim was to achieve primary fascial closure. Secondary outcomes considered included complications of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and open abdominal wounds (hernia, fistula). Two percent of patients who underwent CRS required VAWC during the study's patient inclusion period. VAWC indications included: (i) seven cases of gastro-intestinal perforation, (ii) three necrotic enterocolitis, (iii) two intestinal ischemia, (iv) three anastomotic leakages and (v) four intra-abdominal hemorrhages. VAWC was used to treat indications (i) to (iv) (which represented 73.7% of cases), to prevent compartmental syndrome. Primary fascia closure was achieved in 100% of cases, in four cases (21.0%) a biologic mesh was used. Median hospital stay was 65 days (range: 18–153). Four patients died during hospitalization, three of these within 30 days of VAWC completion. VAWC for managing open abdominal wounds is a reliable technique to treat surgical post-CRS complications in advanced ovarian cancer and reduces the early post-operative mortality in cases presenting with severe complications. • Vacuum-assisted open abdomen enables the management of grade III-IV postoperative complications after ovarian cytoreduction. • Vacuum-assisted wound closure was applied in cases of abdominal compartmental syndrome. • Primary fascia closure was achieved in 100% of cases after open abdomen using vacuum-assisted wound closure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) entails several risk factors for incisional hernia (IH). A few reports available showing incidences between 7% and 17%. At our institution fascia closure has been performed in a 4:1 suture to wound length manner, with a continuous 2-0 polydiaxanone suture (PDS-group) or with a 2-0 polypropylene suture preceded by a reinforced tension line (RTL) suture (RTL-group). Our hypothesis was that these patients might benefit from reinforcing the suture line with a lower IH incidence in this group. The aim was to evaluate the 1-year IH-incidence of the two different closures.Methods: Patients eligible for inclusion were treated with CRS/HIPEC between 2004 and 2019. IH was diagnosed by scrutinizing CT-scans 1 year ±3 months after surgery. Additional data was retrieved from clinical records and a prospective CRS/HIPEC-database.Results: Of 193 patients, 129 were included, 82 in the PDS- and 47 in the RTL-group. RTL-patients were 5 years younger, had less blood loss and more frequent postoperative neutropenia. No difference regarding sex, BMI, recent midline incisions, excision of midline scars, peritoneal cancer index score, complications (≥Clavien-Dindo 3b), or chemotherapy. Ten IH (7.8%) were found, 9 (11%) in the PDS- and 1 (2.1%) in the RTL-group (p = 0.071).Conclusion: An IH incidence of 7.8% in patients undergoing CRS/HIPEC is not higher than after laparotomies in general. The IH incidence in the PDS-group was 11% compared to 2% in the RTL-group. Even though significance was not reached, the difference is clinically relevant, suggesting an advantage with RTL suture.

Background: Technique of anterior abdominal wall closure (AAWC) determines wound-related surgical complications. Residents in obstetrics and gynecology and surgery departments perform most midline abdominal wall closure; data is lacking on how it is being done. This study identifies abdominal wall closure techniques used. Methods: A descriptive study was carried out from October 2015 to May 2016. Results: 71 (35 surgical, 36 ObGyn) residents completed a self-administered questionnaire. Knowledge of midline abdominal closure was acquired from medical officers (58.6%) or consultants before residency (28.6%). Absorbable suture was preferred for clean wounds by 75% of residents; 70% used size 1 suture for fascial closure. Most residents (95.7%) closed fascia in clean wound by continuous suturing. Interrupted suturing was preferred in contaminated and dirty wounds. Half of the residents in both groups would close skin in contaminated wounds, while 16% of surgery and 9.4% ObGyn will close skin in dirty wounds. Conclusion: Inconsistencies exist in anterior abdominal wall closure between groups of residents despite presence of clear guidelines. It is important to harmonize training on AAWC at the tertiary hospital.

Introduction: Midline laparotomy wound is closed in layers co-opting the various layers separately from historical times; however various methods of closure had come into vogue in the recent years. One such is the single layer mass closure technique, in which all the layers of the abdominal wall are closed in single layer, except for the skin and subcutaneous tissue. Yet another method described is the retention closure technique incorporating all layers including skin and subcutaneous tissue are closed in a single layer. Aim: To compare the postoperative wound complications in layered closure with retention closure technique in midline laparotomy. Materials and Methods: This was a longitudinal cohort study done on 57 consecutive patients who underwent midline laparotomy on an elective or emergency basis over a 12 months period from January 2014 to January 2015 in the Department of General Surgery at Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Puducherry, India. They were divided in to two groups depending on the closure type, layered closure (Group A) and retention closure (Group B) depending on the operating surgeon: retention closure was done in a single surgical unit and layered closure was done in rest of the respective units. Patients were followed up meticulously and immediate postoperative complications were recorded up to four weeks. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS version 19.0 (IBM SPSS, US) software with regression modules installed. Chi-square test and t-test were used to analyse the data. Results: In Group A there was 30 patients while in Group B there were 27 patients. In layered closure technique out 30 patients 12 (40%) patients developed wound infection, 1 (3.3%) patient developed partial dehiscence, and 2 (6.6%) patients developed complete dehiscence. In retention closure technique out of 27 patients only 5 (18.5%) patients developed wound infection, 3 (11%) patients developed partial dehiscence and none of them had complete dehiscence in this group. There was significant association between wound complications and patients with uraemia and hypoalbuminemia. Out of 12 uremic patients 8 (66%) developed wound infection (p-value=0.002), 2 (16.7%) patients developed partial dehiscence and 2 (16.7%) patients developed complete dehiscence (p-value=0.06). In patients who had hypoalbuminemia, out of seven patients, 5 (71.4%) patients had wound infection and 2 (28.6%) patients did not have wound infection (p-value=0.01). Four (57.1%) patients had partial dehiscence and 2 (28.6%) had complete dehiscence only 1 (14.3%) patient did not have any dehiscence (p-value=0.001). Conclusion: Retention closure has some advantages over layered closure in preventing wound infections and burst abdomen. Various risk factors are associated with postoperative wound complications, among which hypoalbuminemia and uraemia have a strong association.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text Objective: To compare the early results of mass and layered closure of upper abdominal transverse incisions. Summary of Background Data: Contrary to midline incisions, data on closure of transverse abdominal incisions are lacking. Methods: This is the first analysis of a randomized controlled trial primarily designed to compare mass with layered closure of transverse incisions with respect to incisional hernias. Patients undergoing laparotomy through upper abdominal transverse incisions were randomized to either mass or layered closure with continuous sutures. Incisional surgical site infection (incisional-SSI) was the primary end-point. Secondary end-points comprised suture-to-wound length ratio (SWLR), closure duration, and fascial dehiscence (clinicatrials.gov NCT03561727). Results: A total of 268 patients were randomized to either mass (n=134) or layered (n=134) closure. Incisional-SSIs occurred in 24 (17.9%) and 8 (6.0%) patients after mass and layered closure, respectively (P =0.004), with crude odds ratio (OR) of 0.29 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.13–0.67; P =0.004]. Layered technique was independently associated with fewer incisional-SSIs (OR: 0.29; 95% CI 0.12–0.69; P =0.005). The number needed to treat, absolute, and relative risk reduction for layered technique in reducing incisional-SSIs were 8.4 patients, 11.9%, and 66.5%, respectively. Dehiscence occurred in one (0.8%) patient after layered closure and in two (1.5%) patients after mass closure (P >0.999). Median SWLR were 8.1 and 5.6 (P <0.001) with median closure times of 27.5 and 25.0 minutes (P =0.044) for layered and mass closures, respectively. Conclusions: Layered closure of upper abdominal transverse incisions should be preferred due to lower risk of incisional-SSIs and higher SWLR, despite clinically irrelevant longer duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Midline laparotomy wound is closed in layers co-opting the various layers separately from historical times; however various methods of closure had come into vogue in the recent years. One such is the single layer mass closure technique, in which all the layers of the abdominal wall are closed in single layer, except for the skin and subcutaneous tissue. Yet another method described is the retention closure technique incorporating all layers including skin and subcutaneous tissue are closed in a single layer. Aim: To compare the postoperative wound complications in layered closure with retention closure technique in midline laparotomy. Materials and Methods: This was a longitudinal cohort study done on 57 consecutive patients who underwent midline laparotomy on an elective or emergency basis over a 12 months period from January 2014 to January 2015 in the Department of General Surgery at Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Puducherry, India. They were divided in to two groups depending on the closure type, layered closure (Group A) and retention closure (Group B) depending on the operating surgeon: retention closure was done in a single surgical unit and layered closure was done in rest of the respective units. Patients were followed up meticulously and immediate postoperative complications were recorded up to four weeks. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS version 19.0 (IBM SPSS, US) software with regression modules installed. Chi-square test and t-test were used to analyse the data. Results: In Group A there was 30 patients while in Group B there were 27 patients. In layered closure technique out 30 patients 12 (40%) patients developed wound infection, 1 (3.3%) patient developed partial dehiscence, and 2 (6.6%) patients developed complete dehiscence. In retention closure technique out of 27 patients only 5 (18.5%) patients developed wound infection, 3 (11%) patients developed partial dehiscence and none of them had complete dehiscence in this group. There was significant association between wound complications and patients with uraemia and hypoalbuminemia. Out of 12 uremic patients 8 (66%) developed wound infection (p-value=0.002), 2 (16.7%) patients developed partial dehiscence and 2 (16.7%) patients developed complete dehiscence (p-value=0.06). In patients who had hypoalbuminemia, out of 7 patients, 5 (71.4%) patients had wound infection and 2 (28.6%) patients did not have wound infection (p-value=0.01). Four (57.1%) patients had partial dehiscence and 2 (28.6%) had complete dehiscence only 1 (14.3%) patient did not have any dehiscence (p-value=0.001). Conclusion: Retention closure has some advantages over layered closure in preventing wound infections and burst abdomen. Various risk factors are associated with postoperative wound complications, among which hypoalbuminemia and uraemia have a strong association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Conventional mass closure uses suture-to-wound length ratio of 4:1 (‘long stitch’, LS). ‘Short stitch’ (SS) has a suture-to-wound length ratio of more than 4 and incorporates only the linea alba, which may reduce tension and pain. We compared the post-operative pain after laparotomy closure using LS and SS. Methods: Patients undergoing elective midline laparotomy through standardized incisions in two tertiary hospitals from February 2017 to September 2018 were randomized to either LS or SS. The primary outcome was post-operative patient-controlled analgesia morphine usage at 24 h. Secondary outcomes were presence of surgical site infection and length of hospital stay (LOHS). Categorical variables were analysed using chi-squared analysis. Outcomes of study were tested for normal distribution. Skewed data were analysed using Mann–Whitney U-test. Results: Eighty-six patients were recruited (42 SS and 44 LS). The median age was 66 (interquartile range (IQR) 15). Majority were males (62.8%) and Chinese (50%). The median incision length was 17 cm in both groups. The median patient-controlled analgesia morphine usage 24 h post-operatively did not differ significantly (SS 21 mg, IQR 28.3; LS 18.5 mg, IQR 33.8, P = 0.829). The median pain score at rest (SS 1, IQR 1; LS 1, IQR 2, P = 0.426) and movement (SS 3, IQR 1; LS 3, IQR 2, P = 0.307) did not differ significantly. LOHS was shorter in the SS group (SS 6, IQR 4; LS 8, IQR 5, P = 0.034). The rate of surgical site infection trended lower in the SS group with no statistical difference. Conclusion: There were no differences in post-operative pain between SS and LS but we found that there were shorter LOHS in SS arm as secondary outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abdominal closure after laparotomy takes several weeks to get 80% of its previous strength in this period the fascial sheath should be hold by sutures. Several materials used in the abdominal closures but the most common suture used is polypropylene, others used nylon, less common used is absorbable sutures but wound sinus is a complication may fellow the use of non-absorbable sutures. For two years we collect 235 patients in all of them abdominal wall incision was Pfannenstiel, in 133 patients the incision closed by polypropylene (non-absorbable), for other 102 patients the incision closed by polydioxanone (slow absorbable) the result was significant for wound sinus formation in polypropylene group but insignificant for hernia, conclusion of the study the polydioxanone look the same strength of polypropylene and may be without wound sinus formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastroschisis defects are managed with a variety of strategies including primary closure, staged silo reduction with delayed repair, and sutureless closure techniques. In cases of giant gastroschisis defects where primary closure is not feasible, biologic patch coverage has been traditionally considered as a temporary means of closing the abdomen. In this case report we describe two cases of giant gastroschisis defects that were not amenable to primary closure and required temporary coverage with biologic patches. From these cases, we report that biologic patch coverage can serve as definitive management of giant gastroschisis defects without the need for additional surgical management.

The Abdominal Re-Approximation Anchor (ABRA ® ) is a pivotal dynamic wound closure system utilized for achieving primary fascial closure in patients undergoing open abdomen surgeries. However, its efficacy can be hindered in patients with class III obesity due to anatomical complexities and compromised tissue characteristics. Here, we present the unique case of a 25-year-old woman with class III obesity (body mass index (BMI) ≥ 40 kg/m 2 ) who required primary abdominal closure following complications of an ileostomy repair. Traditional placement of the ABRA device was not feasible due to thick subcutaneous tissue layers. Consequently, a modified application of ABRA was decided based on clinical judgment, whereby the ABRA button anchors were strategically placed internally under the subcutaneous tissue instead of externally on the skin surface. The patient completed six intraoperative tightenings of the ABRA device via this novel technique and was treated with washouts over the course of two months until complete resolution was achieved. The presented case demonstrates a successful modification of the ABRA wound closure device to suit an open abdomen patient with class III obesity., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, Nguyen et al.)

Patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) have a high prevalence of incisional hernia following open repair. The choice of incision and closure technique has a significant impact on this post-operative complication. Multiple techniques exist, as well as various comparative analyses, but clinical consensus is lacking. The objective was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of AAA laparotomy and closure technique and the risk of incisional hernia development. The systematic review was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines. A literature search of all original research published until January 2019 was made. Outcome measures were surgical approach, closure technique, hernia rates, length of follow up, and method of hernia recognition. Groups were divided according to method of abdominal incision and closure technique. Differences in outcome between closure techniques were expressed as risk ratios with 95% confidence interval (CI) using a random effects model. Fifteen studies were included with a cumulative cohort of between 388 and 3 399 patients compared in each group. Abdominal closure with a suture to wound length ratio of more than 4:1 compared with less than 4:1, RR 0.42 (95% CI 0.27–0.65), and abdominal closure with mesh compared with without mesh augmentation, RR 0.24 (95% CI 0.10–0.60) reduced the risk of incisional hernia. There were no significant differences in incisional hernia rate between transverse abdominal incision vs. vertical midline incision, RR 0.57 (95% CI 0.31–1.06) and between midline transperitoneal vs. all retroperitoneal incisions, RR 1.19 (95% CI 0.54–2.61). Choice of abdominal closure technique after aneurysm surgery impacts the risk of developing incisional hernia. The use of a supportive mesh significantly reduces the risk of incisional hernia in vertical midline incisions. The same is true if a suture to wound ratio of more than 4:1 is used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This meta-analysis aims to determine if antibiotic-impregnated sutures for abdominal fascial closure prevent postoperative surgical site infections (SSIs), hernias, and/or dehiscence.Methods: MEDLINE and EMBASE databases (1946-2016) were searched. Randomized controlled trials comparing antibiotic-impregnated sutures to standard sutures for abdominal closure were eligible. Risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane Handbooks definitions.Results: Four-hundred fifty articles were reviewed; five eligible studies (N = 3117) were identified. All studies routinely used prophylactic antibiotics. Overall risk of SSI in the antibiotic-impregnated suture group was 10.4 vs. 13.0% in the control group. Pooled data showed no difference in SSI between suture types (odds ratio 0.79, 95% CI 0.57-1.09, P = 0.15, I 2 = 44%). There was no evidence of subgroup effect by suture material (polydioxanone vs. polyglactin 910; P = 0.19) or by comparing colorectal surgery studies to others (P = 0.67). There was a high risk of bias in two studies, one for high loss to follow-up and one for not using an intent-to-treat analysis.Conclusion: Our meta-analysis is the most comprehensive review on the utility of antibiotic-impregnated sutures in abdominal surgery to prevent SSI. We found no evidence to support routine use of these sutures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Incisional hernias are common complications of midline closure following abdominal surgery and cause significant morbidity, impaired quality of life and increased health care costs. The 'Hughes Repair' combines a standard mass closure with a series of horizontal and two vertical mattress sutures within a single suture. This theoretically distributes the load along the incision length as well as across it. There is evidence to suggest that this technique is as effective as mesh repair for the operative management of incisional hernias; however, no trials have compared the Hughes Repair with standard mass closure for the prevention of incisional hernia formation following a midline incision.Methods/design: This is a 1:1 randomised controlled trial comparing two suture techniques for the closure of the midline abdominal wound following surgery for colorectal cancer. Full ethical approval has been gained (Wales REC 3, MREC 12/WA/0374). Eight hundred patients will be randomised from approximately 20 general surgical units within the United Kingdom. Patients undergoing open or laparoscopic (more than a 5-cm midline incision) surgery for colorectal cancer, elective or emergency, are eligible. Patients under the age of 18 years, those having mesh inserted or undergoing musculofascial flap closure of the perineal defect in abdominoperineal wound closure, and those unable to give informed consent will be excluded. Patients will be randomised intraoperatively to either the Hughes Repair or standard mass closure. The primary outcome measure is the incidence of incisional hernias at 1 year as assessed by standardised clinical examination. The secondary outcomes include quality of life patient-reported outcome measures, cost-utility analysis, incidence of complete abdominal wound dehiscence and C-POSSUM scores. The incidence of incisional hernia at 1 year, assessed by computerised tomography, will form a tertiary outcome.Discussion: A feasibility phase has been completed. The results of the study will be used to inform current and future practice and potentially reduce the risk of incisional hernia formation following midline incisions.Trial Registration: Trial Registration Number: ISRCTN 25616490 . Registered on 1 January 2012. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Knowledge about suture tension dynamics after laparotomy closure is limited due to the lack of adequate measurement tools. As a consequence, a miniaturized implantable sensor and data logger were developed and applied experimentally in a porcine model to measure suture tension dynamics after laparotomy closure.Material and Methods: We developed an implantable device (6 × 3 × 1 mm) fitted with silicon strain gauges and an implantable data logger allowing long-term registration. In nine domestic pigs, sensors and loggers were implanted along the suture closing a median laparotomy registering suture tension over a period of 23 h.Results: Fascial closure was achieved by a mean suture tension of 1.07 N. After 30 minutes, suture tension was reduced to 0.81N (-24.3 %, p = 0.0003). After 12 h, tension showed a further decrease to 0.69 N (-35.5 %, n.s.), after 23 h mean suture tension reached 0.56 N, (-47.7 %, p = 0.014).Conclusions: The aim to develop an implantable miniaturized sensor device registering long-term suture tension dynamics was achieved. The use in the animal experiment was feasible and safe. We observed a loss of almost 50 % of suture tension 23 h after fascial closure. This could mean that up to 50 % of initial suture tension may be an unnecessary surplus not contributing to tissue stability but to the risk of suture failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUÇÃO: As perdas de substância da parede abdominal são substituídas por próteses sintéticas. Acontecem vantagens e desvantagens. O omento maior é uma estrutura totipotente e se aplica, também, à reparação. OBJETIVO: Apresentar possibilidade técnica de fechamento de parede abdominal com omento após ressecção da parte muscular. MÉTODO: Operou-se dois pacientes adultos com adenocarcinoma de colo direito invadindo a parede abdominal. Foi necessária a ressecção da metade direita da parede para fazer parte do monobloco. A metade esquerda do omento maior, remanescente, foi usada para vedar a cavidade abdominal através de sua sutura às bordas da ferida. Pôde-se recobrir com pele mobilizada nos flancos. A evolução foi satisfatória. No pós-operatório tardio formou-se hérnia incisional. CONCLUSÃO: O omento maior é um recurso a mais para reparar a perda parcial de parede abdominal.INTRODUCTION: The loss of substance of the abdominal wall is usually replaced by synthetic prostheses with advantages and disadvantages. The greater omentum is a totipotent structure and can be applied also to this repair. OBJECTIVE: To present technical possibility of abdominal closure after resection of abdominal wall muscle part with omentum. METHOD: The technic was carried out in two adult patients with colonic adenocarcinoma with invasion of the right abdominal wall. Was required the resection of the right half of the abdominal wall to join the en-bloc resection. The left half of the greater omentum was used to seal the abdominal cavity fixing it with sutures to the edges of the surgical wound. Final closure was done with the skin freed from the flanks. The recovery was satisfactory. In the late postoperative period incisional hernia occurred. CONCLUSION: The greater omentum can be used to repair the partial loss of the abdominal wall.

Introduction: Negative pressure therapy (NPT) is a widely recognised procedure for the temporary closure of open abdominal wounds. In this study, we compare two NPT products, the V.A.C.® abdominal dressing (AD) system and the new ABThera™ (ABT) system, in terms of the primary closure rates achieved, types of closure, and the associated morbidity.Methods: We employed a retrospective comparative study of open-abdomen patients treated with NPT using either AD or ABT. The indications for treatment were damage control surgery, abdominal compartment syndrome, or severe abdominal sepsis.Results: The group of patients treated with ABT showed a higher percentage of primary closures (41 vs. 11%) and required fewer days of NPT (17 vs. 26 days) than the AD group. Differences were statistically significant. In addition, only 4% of patients in the ABT group exhibited enteroatmospheric fistulae, compared to 17% in the AD group.Conclusions: Compared to the AD system, ABT can achieve faster primary closure after open abdomen treatment with only minor complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liver and small bowel transplant is an established treatment for infants with IFALD. Despite organ reduction techniques, mortality on the waiting list remains high due to shortage of size-matched pediatric donors. Small abdominal cavity volume due to previous intestinal resection poses a significant challenge to achieve abdominal closure post-transplant. Seven children underwent tissue expansion of abdominal skin prior to multiorgan transplant. In total, 17 tissue expanders were placed subcutaneously in seven children. All seven subjects underwent re-exploration to deal with complications: hematoma, extrusion, infection, or port related. Three expanders had to be removed. Four children went on to have successful combined liver and small bowel transplant. Two children died on the waiting list of causes not related to the expander and one child died from sepsis attributed to an infected expander. Tissue expansion can generate skin to facilitate closure of abdomen post-transplant, thus allowing infants with small abdominal volumes to be considered for transplant surgery. Tissue expansion in children with end-stage liver disease and portal hypertension is associated with a very high complication rate and needs to be closely monitored during the expansion process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite advances in surgical technique and materials, abdominal fascial closure has remained a procedure that often reflects a surgeon’s personal preference with a reliance on tradition and anecdotal experience. The value of a particular abdominal fascial closure technique may be measured by the incidence of early and late wound complications, and the best abdominal closure technique should be fast, easy, and cost-effective, while preventing both early and late complications. This study addresses the closure of the vertical midline laparotomy incision. Data sources: A MEDLINE (National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland) search was performed. All articles related to abdominal fascia closure published from 1966 to 2003 were included in the review. Conclusions: Careful analysis of the current surgical literature, including 4 recently published meta-analyses, indicates that a consistent conclusion can be made regarding an optimal technique. That technique involves mass closure, incorporating all of the layers of the abdominal wall (except skin) as 1 structure, in a simple running technique, using #1 or #2 absorbable monofilament suture material with a suture length to wound length ratio of 4 to 1. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Wound infections have been reported to occur in as many as 15% of wounds following the open procedure for gastric bypass in morbidly obese patients, resulting in significant disability, an increased health-care expenditure, and even death. Methods: This study was performed to assess the potential for reduction of wound infection in patients undergoing open gastric bypass by using a multimodal application of measures including infusion of an antibiotic (kanamycin) into the wound after closure and allowing it to dwell for 2 hours. Follow-up was for a minimum of 6 weeks. Results: Of 400 consecutive evaluable patients, none had a wound infection which started in the subcutaneous fat or fascia. One patient had a stitch abscess, two had superficial infections secondary to wound separation after suture removal, and one had infection after spontaneous evacuation of a seroma. Conclusion: Using an infusion of kanamycin into the wound and allowing it to dwell for a 2-hour period, along with other standard preventive measures, eliminated primary deep subcutaneous and fascial wound infections after open gastric bypass procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews evidence-based techniques for abdominal closure and management strategies when abdominal wall closures fail. In particular, optimal primary fascial closure techniques, the role of prophylactic mesh, considerations for combined hernia repair, closure techniques when the fascia cannot be closed primarily, and management approaches for fascial dehiscence are reviewed., Competing Interests: Disclosure S.J. Zolin has nothing to disclose. M.J. Rosen has received salary support for his leadership position in the Abdominal Core Health Quality Collaborative, is a board member and has stock/stock options from Ariste Medical, and has research grants from Pacira Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Intuitive Inc., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)