Original Research Article
Year: 2016 | Month: February | Volume: 3 | Issue: 2 | Pages: 33-36
Comparison between Interrupted Vertical Mattress Suture versus Subcuticular Suture for Skin Closure in Caesarean Section at SMIMS
Shwetha B R1*, Rema V Nair2*, Janaki Thankam M Pillai3*, Prashant V Solanke4
1Assistant Professor, 2Professor, 3Post Graduate, 4Professor of Community Medicine,
*Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology,
Sree Mookambika Institute of Medical Sciences, Kulasekharam, District Kanyakumari, India.
Corresponding Author: Prashant V Solanke
ABSTRACT
Background: Few clinical trials have studied the functional and cosmetic outcomes of different closure techniques of surgical incisions. Skin wound and incision closure methods will influence the healing process and cosmetic outcome. The present study aims at comparing two different suture techniques of skin closure.
Objective: of the present study was to compare 2 commonly used methods of skin closure- subcuticular and mattress sutures.
Methodology: This was a hospital based study. Sample Size is calculated by {Z (alpha)} 2PQ/d2.100 pregnant patients undergoing elective LSCS at term were chosen for the study. Sampling Technique - Systematic sampling. Data was entered in Microsoft excel 2013.Data was analysed by SPSS trail version 20.Statistical test used descriptive statistics, correlation & Chi Square test. Institutional ethical committee clearance obtained.
Results: Majority of the patients (95%) belonged to the age group of 19-30 years. 42 % of the patients in our study were primigravida, 46% had undergone a previous LSCS and 12% had previous vaginal delivery. Among the 50 patients with mattress sutures, 36% were Primigravidae, 50% had undergone a previous LSCS and 14% had previous vaginal delivery. Among the 50 patients who had subcuticular sutures, 48% were primigravidae, 42% had undergone a previous LSCS and 10% had a previous vaginal delivery. Among the 100 patients in our study, 13% had wound inflammation, out of which 76% (10/13) were patients with mattress sutures and 34% (3/13) had subcuticular sutures. 5% of our patients had serous discharge of which40% (2/5) had mattress sutures and 60% (3/5) had subcuticular sutures. Purulent discharge was noticed in 6% patients of which 83% (5/6) belonged to the mattress group and 17% (1/6) belonged to the subcuticular group. Wound dehiscence occurred in a single case with mattress sutures. Stitch granuloma occurred in a single case which belonged to the subcuticular group.
There were 72% patients without any surgical wound related complications of which 43 % (32/74) were from the mattress group and 57% (42/74) were from the subcuticular group.
Conclusions: Subcuticular suture is technically difficult when compared to mattress sutures but it yields a cosmetically better scar.
Keywords: Subcuticular suture, mattress sutures, scar, surgical incisions.