Randomized trial of skin closure after laparotomy for gynaecological surgery.

Background: New suture materials may provide patients with a better cosmetic outcome at similar pain and wound complication rate.

Methods: To assess pain and cosmetic outcome among patients randomized to receive wound closure after laparotomy for gynaecological surgery using staples, polyglecaprone 25 or polyglecaprone 6211 subcuticular sutures.

Results: Overall, 90 patients (87.4% consent rate) were randomized. There was no difference in wound complications and pain between the three groups. Patients randomized to polyglecaprone 6211 subcuticular sutures rated the cosmetic result at 1 and 6 weeks after surgery somewhat lower than patients randomized to the two alternative groups; however, at 3 months after surgery, all three groups rated the cosmetic result as similar.

Conclusions: This study suggests that the three wound closure methods have similar short-term pain and cosmetic outcomes, as well as a similar rate of wound complications, leaving the decision of the most appropriate closure method to individual surgeons.