Complication rates in very low and extremely low birth weight infants following laparotomy: a prospective study.

Introduction: Surgical site occurrences (SSO), including surgical site infection, dehiscence, and incisional hernia, are complications following laparotomy. SSO rates in premature neonates are poorly understood. We hypothesize that SSO rates are higher among extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants compared to very low birth weight (VLBW) infants and strive to determine the optimal abdominal closure method for these infants.