Comparing Delayed vs Primary Wound Closure After Emergency Laparotomy: Impact on Infection, Healing, and Hospital Stay

Bkahtawar Amin Medical and Dental College Multan

Status: Completed

Conditions: Laparotomy Closure After Abdominal Surgery

Treatments: Procedure: Immediate skin closure; Procedure: Delayed primary closure

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07142395

U1111-1326-2839

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to find out which type of wound closure after emergency abdominal surgery leads to fewer wound infections and better recovery: closing the wound immediately after surgery (called primary closure) or waiting a few days before closing the skin (called delayed primary closure).

Wound infection is a common problem after emergency abdominal surgery (also called laparotomy). Some surgeons close the skin right away, while others wait a few days to reduce the risk of infection.

This study will help find out which method is better.

The main questions the study aims to answer are:

1. . Does delayed primary closure lower the rate of wound infection compared to primary closure?
2. . Does the wound open up (wound dehiscence) less often with delayed closure?
3. . Does delayed closure affect the length of hospital stay?

In this clinical trial:

• Adult patients needing emergency abdominal surgery will be included.
• Half the patients will have their wounds closed immediately (primary closure), and half will have delayed closure after 3-5 days of daily dressing.
• All surgeries will be done by experienced surgeons using the same technique.
• Patients will be followed for 4 weeks after surgery to monitor wound infection, wound opening, and length of hospital stay.

The results will help doctors choose the safest and most effective way to close surgical wounds after emergency abdominal surgery.

Enrollment: 82 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 60 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients 18 - 60 years of age
• Either male or female gender and
• Planned to undergo emergency laparotomy

Exclusion criteria

• Patients undergoing second laparotomy
• Re- laparotomy
• On steroid therapy and
• Patients who die within 28-days of surgery

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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82 participants in 2 patient groups

Primary Closure

Active Comparator group

Description:

Skin closed immediately after laparotomy

Treatment:

Procedure: Immediate skin closure

Delayed Primary Closure

Experimental group

Description:

Skin closed 3 - 5 days after laparotomy

Treatment:

Procedure: Delayed primary closure