Open surgical access to the abdomen is required for all major abdominal procedures. One of the most popular incisions for opening the abdomen is midline laparotomy till today. Here we describe the principles and techniques of fascial closure of midline laparotomy. To study the results of two techniques, simple interrupted closure and continuous with intermittent Aberdeen knot technique for midline laparotomy wound closure. This study included 80 patients of midline laparotomy wound closure. They were randomly divided into two groups. In one group (group A) of 40 cases, midline fascial wound closure was done with continuous sutures with intermittent Aberdeen knot technique using Prolene No. 1 suture material. In the other group (group B) of 40 cases, closure was done with the technique of simple interrupted sutures with Prolene No.1 suture material. Comparison of both the techniques regarding preoperative status the type of closures, time taken for fascia closure, length of prolene suture material used and postoperative complication such as incisional hernia, wound dehiscence, suture sinus formation, stitch granuloma, patient satisfaction index and chronic wound pain was assessed according to clinical examination and recorded in the pro forma prepared. Both the techniques, simple interrupted suture closure and continuous with intermittent Aberdeen knot closure for midline laparotomy fascial wounds, show a similar rate of postoperative complication such as incisional hernia, wound dehiscence, and suture sinus formation. But the continuous suturing with intermittent Aberdeen knot technique is a better option to prevent complications such as stitch granuloma, chronic wound pain, and wound infection, which are higher in the simple interrupted fascial wound closure technique.
