Comparison of post-operative pain in short versus long stitch technique for abdominal wall closure after elective laparotomy: a double-blind randomized controlled trial.

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.