The evolution of laparoscopy in abdominal surgery: a meta-analysis of the effect on infectious outcomes.

Background: Laparoscopic surgery has been recommended as an effective strategy because of its advantages in decreasing abdominal surgical site infections (SSIs). The aim of this study was to assess the effect of laparoscopy on superficial and organ/space SSIs compared with open surgery in hollow-viscus procedures over time.

Study Design: Data on SSIs from randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating open versus laparoscopic abdominal surgeries were extracted from the Cochrane Database Reviews.