Subcutaneous Suture Versus No Subcutaneous Suture for Abdominal Wound Closure in Abdominal Surgery

What this Trial Is About

Surgical site infections (SSI) are common and serious complications following abdominal surgery, leading to delayed healing, longer hospital stays, additional treatments, and higher healthcare costs. Closure of the subcutaneous tissue before skin closure is a standard practice, but clear evidence about its benefits outside of caesarean sections is limited. This trial aims to provide high-quality evidence on whether subcutaneous tissue closure reduces SSI after abdominal surgery. Adult patients undergoing elective open or laparoscopically/robotically assisted abdominal surgery with an incision of at least 6 cm are randomly assigned during surgery to either have the subcutaneous tissue closed with interrupted Vicryl 2-0 sutures or no subcutaneous tissue closure before skin closure. Skin closure is done with staples for open surgery and continuous intracutaneous Monocryl 3-0 sutures for minimally invasive procedures. The study compares these two approaches to assess their impact on infection rates. Participants will be monitored during their hospital stay and at a 30-day follow-up visit, with wound assessments performed by blinded evaluators. Researchers will track the occurrence of surgical site infections within 30 days, as well as wound healing time, antibiotic use, wound complications, need for reoperation, patient scar assessments, quality of life, and healthcare resource use. The total involvement includes surgery, inpatient assessments, and follow-up to evaluate outcomes and safety.

Subcutaneous Suture Versus no Subcutaneous Suture for Abdominal Wound Closure