The clinical consequences of burst abdomen after emergency midline laparotomy: a prospective, observational cohort study.

PURPOSE: The emergency midline laparotomy is a commonly performed procedure with a burst abdomen being a critical surgical complication requiring further emergency surgery. This study aimed to investigate the clinical outcomes of patients with burst abdomen after emergency midline laparotomy. METHODS: A single-center, prospective, observational cohort study of patients undergoing emergency midline laparotomy during a two-year period was done. Abdominal wall closure followed a standardized technique using monofilament, slowly absorbable suture in a continuous suturing technique with a suture-to-wound ratio of at least 4:1. Treatment of burst abdomen was surgical. Data, including intra-hospital postoperative complications, were collected and registered chronologically based on journal entries. The primary outcome was to describe postoperative complications, length of stay, and the overall morbidity based on the Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI), stratified between patients who did and did not suffer from a burst abdomen during admission. RESULTS: A total of 543 patients were included in the final cohort, including 24 patients with burst abdomen during admission. The incidence of burst abdomen after emergency midline laparotomy was 4.4%. Patients with a burst abdomen had a higher total amount of complications per patient (median of 3, IQR 1.3-5.8 vs. median of 1, IQR 0.0-3.0; p = 0.001) and a significantly higher CCI (median of 53.0, IQR 40.3-94.8 vs. median of 21.0, IQR 0.0-42.0; p = < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Patients with burst abdomen had an increased risk of postoperative complications during admission as well as a longer and more complicated admission with multiple non-surgical complications.

Hughes Abdomen Closure Technique Versus Continuous Closure in Emergency Midline Laparotomy: A Randomized Controlled Study.

Background Abdominal wound dehiscence, a serious postoperative issue, remains a significant concern for surgeons due to its potential to increase patient mortality and morbidity. Disruption can occur at any point after surgery, sparking debate over the optimal closure method for midline vertical abdominal wounds. Therefore, it's crucial to determine the safest approach. Our randomized clinical trial is planned to compare the risk of a burst abdomen associated with the Hughes abdominal closure technique to that of continuous abdominal closure. Methods All patients >18 years scheduled for emergency midline laparotomy were randomly assigned into two groups using computer-generated random numbers: Group A underwent Hughes repair (12 patients) and Group B underwent continuous closure (17 patients). Preoperative data, including patient demographics, and postoperative outcomes, such as time for rectus closure, wound dehiscence, surgical site infection (SSI), and length of hospital stay, were documented for analysis. Results The study found that the average patient age was 37.89 years, with more males than females. Both groups had an equal distribution of co-morbidities (p = 0.468), but none of these factors were statistically significant. Burst abdomen occurred in 25% of group A and 41.1% of group B (p = 0.367, not significant). Incisional hernia was absent in both groups. Surgical site infection (p = 0.119) and respiratory complications (p = 0.16) were not statistically significant between groups. However, in group A, the regressive analysis showed significant associations between burst abdomen, surgical site infection (p = 0.018), and respiratory complications (p = 0.007), while in group B, these associations were not significant (p = 0.252 for SSI and p = 0.906 for respiratory complications). Conclusion The occurrence of burst abdomen and closure time differences between continuous and Hughes techniques were not significant. The Hughes technique was quicker to learn (32 vs. 22 minutes). Burst abdomen was more common in continuous closure (group A: 25% vs. group B: 41%), favoring the Hughes technique. Factors like age, gender, and others didn't significantly impact the burst abdomen in either group.

Strength of small-bites abdominal wall closure using different suturing methods and materials in an experimental animal model.

PURPOSE: Using small instead of large bites for laparotomy closure results in lower incidence of incisional hernia, but no consensus exists on which suture material to use. This study aimed to compare five different closure strategies in a standardized experimental setting. METHODS: Fifty porcine abdominal walls were arranged into 5 groups: (A) running 2/0 polydioxanone; (B) interlocking 2/0 polydioxanone; (C) running size 0 barbed polydioxanone; (D) running size 0 barbed glycolic acid and trimethylene carbonate; (E) running size 0 suturable polypropylene mesh. The small-bites technique was used for linea alba closure in all. The abdominal walls were divided into a supra- and infra-umbilical half, resulting in 20 specimens per group that were pulled apart in a tensile testing machine. Maximum tensile force and types of suture failure were registered. RESULTS: The highest tensile force was measured when using barbed polydioxanone (334.8 N ± 157.0), but differences did not reach statistical significance. Infra-umbilical abdominal walls endured a significantly higher maximum tensile force compared to supra-umbilical (397 N vs 271 N, p < 0.001). Barbed glycolic acid and trimethylene carbonate failed significantly more often (25% vs 0%, p = 0.008). CONCLUSION: Based on tensile force, both interlocking and running suture techniques using polydioxanone, and running sutures using barbed polydioxanone or suturable mesh, seem to be suitable for abdominal wall closure. Tensile strength was significantly higher in infra-umbilical abdominal walls compared to supra-umbilical. Barbed glycolic acid and trimethylene carbonate should probably be discouraged for fascial closure, because of increased risk of suture failure.

Eviscerated liver: an extremely rare complication of abdominal wound dehiscense through a midline incision.

Abdominal wound dehiscense, or burst abdomen, is a critical postoperative complication necessitating immediate intervention. We present an extremely rare case of left hepatic lobe evisceration through wound dehiscense in a 65-year-old female receiving palliative care for hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. The patient's midline incision that was performed for feeding jejunostomy tube displayed liver protrusion on Day 14 postoperatively. Surgical exploration revealed a healthy liver, prompting reduction and secondary sutures to prevent complications. Abdominal wound dehiscense risk factors, including advanced age, poor nutrition, and medical illness, contribute to its occurrence. Although guidelines for liver evisceration management are lacking, our case emphasizes proper technique, wound care, and nutritional support to aid the healing process and to ensure a better outcome for the patients.

Small bite versus large bite stitching technique for midline laparotomy wound closure: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Mass closure with a continuous suture using large bite stitching technique has been widely accepted for midline laparotomy wound closures. However, emerging evidence suggests the use of small bite technique to reduce rates of incisional ventral hernia, surgical site infection (SSI) and burst abdomen. This meta-analysis aims to compare small versus large bite stitching techniques to assess complication rates in midline laparotomy wound closures. A comprehensive multi-database search (OVID EBM Reviews, OVID Medline, EMBASE, Scopus) was conducted from database inception to 11th October 2021 according to PRISMA guidelines. We included studies comparing post-operative complication rates of small bite versus large bite stitching techniques for midline laparotomy wound closure. Extracted data was pooled for meta-analysis evaluating rates of incisional ventral hernia, SSI and burst abdomen. We included five randomized controlled trials (RCT) in the meta-analysis and three prospective cohort studies for qualitative analysis. A total of 1977 participants composed of 961 small bite and 1016 large bite technique patients were included from the five RCTs. There was a significant reduction in the rates of incisional ventral hernia and SSI with the small bite stitch technique with odds ratios (OR) of 0.39 (95% CI [0.21-0.71]) and 0.68 (95% CI [0.51-0.91]) respectively, and a trend in favour of reduced incidence of burst abdomen with OR of 0.60 (95% CI [0.15-2.48]). Small bite stitch technique in midline laparotomy wound closure may be superior over conventional mass closure using the large bite stitch technique, with statistically significant lower rates of incisional ventral hernia and SSI.

Vacuum assisted closure with mesh mediated fascial traction of open abdominal wounds and acute fascial dehiscence, a single institution experience.

BACKGROUNDS: Laparostomy is a common means of managing surgical catastrophes, but often results in large ventral hernias which prove difficult to repair. It is also associated with high rates of enteric fistula formation. Dynamic methods of managing the open abdomen have been shown to result in higher rates of fascial closure and fewer complications. Recent publications have suggested the addition of chemical components relaxation with botulinum toxin has an added advantage over prior methods. METHODS: We report on a series of emergent cases managed by the combination of Botulinum toxin A (BTA) mediated chemical relaxation with a modified method of mesh-mediated fascial traction (MMFT) and negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT). RESULTS: Thirteen cases (nine laparostomies and four fascial dehiscence) were successfully closed in a median of 12 days, using a median of 4 'tightenings', with no clinical herniation detected at follow up so far (median 183 days, IQR 123-292). There were no procedure-related complications, but one death from the underling pathology. CONCLUSIONS: We report further cases of vacuum assisted mesh-mediated fascial traction (VA-MMFT) utilizing BTA in successfully managing laparostomy and abdominal wound dehiscence and continues the known high rate of successful fascial closure seen when applied in treating the open abdomen.

Rectus diastasis increases risk of burst abdomen in emergency midline laparotomies: a matched case-control study.

PURPOSE: Burst abdomen is a serious complication requiring immediate surgical treatment. This study aimed to investigate the association between rectus diastasis and burst abdomen in patients undergoing emergency midline laparotomy. METHODS: A single-center, retrospective, matched case-control study of patients undergoing emergency midline laparotomy from May 2016 to August 2021 was conducted. Cases (patients who suffered from burst abdomen) were matched 1:4 with controls based on age and sex. Rectus diastasis was evaluated on CT imaging and was defined as a distance of at least three centimeters between the rectus abdominis muscles, three centimeters above the umbilicus. Midline laparotomy aponeurosis closure was standardized during the study period, using a slowly absorbable suture, sutured continuously with small bites of five millimeters and a minimum suture-to-wound ratio of 4:1. The primary outcome was the association between rectus diastasis and burst abdomen, evaluated against other suspected risk factors including obesity, liver cirrhosis, previous laparotomy, midline hernias and active smoking in a multivariate analysis. RESULTS: A total of 465 patients were included in the study, with 93 cases matched to 372 controls. Eighty-four patients had rectus diastasis (35.5% cases vs. 13.7% controls; p = < 0.001). Multivariate analysis found rectus diastasis significantly associated with burst abdomen (OR 3.06, 95% CI 1.71-5.47; p = < 0.001). No other suspected risk factors showed a significant association with burst abdomen. CONCLUSION: Rectus diastasis was highly associated with an increased risk of burst abdomen after emergency midline laparotomy.

Abdominal fascia dehiscence: is there a connection to a special microbial spectrum?

INTRODUCTION: Acute fascia dehiscence (FD) is a threatening complication occurring in 0.4-3.5% of cases after abdominal surgery. Prolonged hospital stay, increased mortality and increased rate of incisional hernias could be following consequences. Several risk factors are controversially discussed. Even though surgical infection is a known, indisputable risk factor, it is still not proven if a special spectrum of pathogens is responsible. In this study, we investigated if a specific spectrum of microbial pathogens is associated with FD. METHODS: We performed a retrospective matched pair analysis of 53 consecutive patients with an FD after abdominal surgery in 2010-2016. Matching criteria were gender, age, primary procedure and surgeon. The primary endpoint was the frequency of pathogens detected intraoperatively, the secondary endpoint was the occurrence of risk factors in patients with (FD) and without (nFD) FD. RESULTS: Intraabdominal pathogens were detected more often in the FD group (p = 0.039), with a higher number of Gram-positive pathogens. Enterococci were the most common pathogen (p = 0.002), not covered in 73% (FD group) compared to 22% (nFD group) by the given antibiotic therapy. Multivariable analysis showed detection of Gram-positive pathogens, detection of enterococci in primary laparotomy beside chronic lung disease, surgical site infections and continuous steroid therapy as independent risk factors. CONCLUSION: Risk factors are factors that reduce wound healing or increase intra-abdominal pressure. Furthermore detection of Gram-positive pathogens especially enterococci was detected as an independent risk factor and its empirical coverage could be advantageous for high-risk patients.

Abdominal subcutaneous obesity and the risk of burst abdomen: a matched case-control study.

PURPOSE: The causes of burst abdomen after midline laparotomy remain uncertain. Obesity is a suspected risk factor. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between abdominal subcutaneous obesity (ASO) and burst abdomen in patients undergoing emergency midline laparotomy. METHODS: We conducted a single-centre, retrospective, matched case-control study of patients undergoing emergency midline laparotomy from May 2016 to August 2021. Patients suffering from burst abdomen were matched 1:4 with controls based on age and sex. Abdominal wall closure was standardized in the study period with the small bites, small stitches technique. ASO was defined as the highest sex-specific quartile (≥ 75%) of subcutaneous fat layer evaluated on CT. The primary outcome was the association between ASO and burst abdomen, stratified between cases and controls. Secondary outcomes included 30- and 90-day mortality, length of stay, and suspected risk factors of burst abdomen, assessed by multivariate analysis across cases and controls. RESULTS: A total of 475 patients were included in this study, with 95 cases matched to 380 controls. Liver cirrhosis, active smoking, and high alcohol consumption were more common among cases in an unadjusted analysis. Liver cirrhosis (odds ratio (OR) 3.32, p = 0.045) and active smoking (OR 1.98, p = 0.009) remained significant in a multivariate analysis and were associated with burst abdomen. One hundred twenty-four patients had ASO. ASO was not significantly associated with burst abdomen (OR 1.11, p = 0.731). CONCLUSION: ASO was not found to be associated with an increased risk of burst abdomen after emergency midline laparotomy.

Prophylactic onlay mesh at emergency laparotomy: promising early outcomes with long-acting synthetic resorbable mesh.

BACKGROUND: Careful surgical strategy is paramount in balancing the prevention of fascial dehiscence, incisional hernia (IH) and fear of additional mesh-related wound complications post-laparotomy. This study aims to review early outcomes of patients undergoing an emergency laparotomy with prophylactic TIGR® mesh, used to reduce early fascial dehiscence and potential subsequent IH. METHOD: A retrospective, ethically approved review of 24 consecutive patients undergoing prophylactic TIGR® mesh placement during emergency laparotomies by a single surgeon between January 2017 and June 2021 at a University Hospital. A standardized approach included onlay positioning of the mesh, small-bite fascial closure, and a wound bundle. We recorded patient demographics, operative indications, findings, degree of peritonitis, postoperative complications, and mortality. RESULT: The study included 24 patients; 16/24 (66.6%) were female and median age was 72.5 (range 31-86); 14/24 patients were ASA grade III or greater; 4/24 patients (16.6%) developed six complications and 3/6 occurred in a single patient. Complications included subphrenic abscess, seroma, intrabdominal hematoma, enterocutaneous fistula leading to deep wound infection and small bowel perforation. Five (20.8%) patients died in hospital; central venous catheter sepsis (n = 1), fungal septicaemia (n = 1) and multiorgan failure (n = 3). Surgical site infection and seroma rates were low, occurring in 2/24 patients (4% each). CONCLUSION: This study has identified that prophylactic onlay mesh in patients undergoing an emergency laparotomy is not associated with significant wound infection or seroma when used with an active wound bundle. The wider use of TIGR® to prevent fascial dehiscence and potential long-term IH prevention should be considered.

Simultaneous early surgical repair of post-cholecystectomy major bile duct injury and complex abdominal evisceration: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Major bile duct injuries (BDIs) are hazardous complications during 0.4%-0.6% of laparoscopic cholecystectomies. Major BDIs usually require surgical repair, ideally either immediately or at least six weeks after the damage. The complexity of our case lies in the coexistence of early BDI followed by 2-week biliary peritonitis with massive midline evisceration which, in combination, has over 40% mortality risk. METHODS & CASE REPORT: We describe the case of a 65-year-old male, transferred to our tertiary HPB service on day 14 after common bile duct complete transection during cholecystectomy and postoperative laparotomy. The patient presented with biliary peritonitis along with full wound dehiscence and extensive evisceration. During emergency peritoneal wash-out surgery we deemed immediate BDI repair feasible by primary Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy (HJ), with multi-stage abdominal closure. In the following days we performed progressive abdominal wall closure in multiple sessions under general anesthesia, aided by vacuum-assisted wound closure and intraperitoneal mesh-mediated fascial traction-approximation (VAWCM) with permeable mesh. An expected late incisional hernia was eventually repaired through component separation and biological mesh. DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION: The simultaneous use of Roux-en-Y HJ and VAWCM has proven safe and effective in the treatment of BDI and 2-week biliary peritonitis with massive midline evisceration.

"Sarcopenia is associated with increased risk of burst abdomen after emergency midline laparotomy: a matched case-control study".

PURPOSE: Burst abdomen is a serious complication commonly observed after emergency midline laparotomy. Sarcopenia has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality after abdominal surgery. This single-center, retrospective, matched case-control study aimed to investigate the association between sarcopenia and burst abdomen in patients undergoing emergency midline laparotomy. METHODS: Patients who had burst abdomen after emergency midline laparotomy were matched 1:4 with controls based on age and sex. Abdominal wall closure was standardized in the study period with the small bites, small stitches technique. CT assessed psoas cross-sectional area was used as a surrogate measure of sarcopenia. Sarcopenia was defined as the sex-specific lowest quartile of psoas cross-sectional area adjusted for body surface area. The primary outcome was the incidence rate of sarcopenia amongst cases and controls. Secondary outcomes were risk factors for burst abdomen and death that were identified using multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: 67 cases were matched to 268 controls during May 2016-December 2019. BMI > 30 kg/m2, liver cirrhosis, smoking, high ASA score and peritonitis were more frequently observed among cases. Multivariate analysis revealed that sarcopenia (odds ratio (OR) 2.3, p = 0.01), active smoking (OR 2.3, p = 0.006) and liver cirrhosis (OR 3.7, p = 0.042) were significantly associated with burst abdomen. ASA score ≥ 3 (OR 5.5, p = 0.001) and ongoing malignant disease (OR 3.2, p = 0.001) were significantly associated with increased 90-day mortality. CONCLUSION: Sarcopenia is associated with increased risk of burst abdomen after midline laparotomy. Prospective trials are needed.

Abdominal wound dehiscence is dangerous: a nationwide study of 14,169 patients undergoing elective open resection for colonic cancer.

PURPOSE: The potential impact of abdominal wound dehiscence on long-term survival after elective abdominal surgery is largely unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of abdominal wound dehiscence on survival and incisional hernia repair after elective, open colonic cancer resection. METHODS: This was a nationwide cohort study based on merged data from Danish national registries, comprising patients subjected to elective, open resection for colonic cancer between May 1, 2001 and January 1, 2016. Multivariable Cox Regression analysis and propensity score matching was applied to adjust for confounding. The associations of abdominal wound dehiscence with 90-day mortality and subsequent incisional hernia repair were also examined. RESULTS: A total of 14,169 patients were included in the cohort, of which 549 (3.9%) developed abdominal wound dehiscence. The 5-year survival was significantly decreased in patients with abdominal wound dehiscence (42.4%, 95% CI 38.1-46.7 vs. 53.4%, 52.6-54.3, P < 0.001), which was confirmed in the multivariable analysis (HR 1.22, CI 1.06-1.39, P = 0.004). Abdominal wound dehiscence was significantly associated with increased risk of 90-day mortality (OR 1.60, CI 1.12-2.27, P = 0.009) as well as subsequent incisional hernia repair (HR 1.80, CI 1.07-3.01, P = 0.026). CONCLUSIONS: Abdominal wound dehiscence was significantly associated with decreased survival. Fascial closure after open colonic cancer resection should be given high priority to improve the long-term survival.

Factors influencing the fascial closure rate after open abdomen treatment: Results from the European Hernia Society (EuraHS) Registry : Surgical technique matters.

PURPOSE: Definitive fascial closure is an essential treatment objective after open abdomen treatment and mitigates morbidity and mortality. There is a paucity of evidence on factors that promote or prevent definitive fascial closure. METHODS: A multi-center multivariable analysis of data from the Open Abdomen Route of the European Hernia Society included all cases between 1 May 2015 and 31 December 2019. Different treatment elements, i.e. the use of a visceral protective layer, negative-pressure wound therapy and dynamic closure techniques, as well as patient characteristics were included in the multivariable analysis. The study was registered in the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform via the German Registry for Clinical Trials (DRK00021719). RESULTS: Data were included from 630 patients from eleven surgical departments in six European countries. Indications for OAT were peritonitis (46%), abdominal compartment syndrome (20.5%), burst abdomen (11.3%), abdominal trauma (9%), and other conditions (13.2%). The overall definitive fascial closure rate was 57.5% in the intention-to-treat analysis and 71% in the per-protocol analysis. The multivariable analysis showed a positive correlation of negative-pressure wound therapy (odds ratio: 2.496, p < 0.001) and dynamic closure techniques (odds ratio: 2.687, p < 0.001) with fascial closure and a negative correlation of intra-abdominal contamination (odds ratio: 0.630, p = 0.029) and the number of surgical procedures before OAT (odds ratio: 0.740, p = 0.005) with DFC. CONCLUSION: The clinical course and prognosis of open abdomen treatment can significantly be improved by the use of treatment elements such as negative-pressure wound therapy and dynamic closure techniques, which are associated with definitive fascial closure.

Effects of the short-stitch technique for midline abdominal closure: short-term results from the randomised-controlled ESTOIH trial.

PURPOSE: The short-stitch technique for midline laparotomy closure has been shown to reduce hernia rates, but long stitches remain the standard of care and the effect of the short-stitch technique on short-term results is not well known. The aim of this study was to compare the two techniques, using an ultra-long-term absorbable elastic suture material. METHODS: Following elective midline laparotomy, 425 patients in 9 centres were randomised to receive wound closure using the short-stitch (USP 2-0 single thread, n = 215) or long-stitch (USP 1 double loop, n = 210) technique with a poly-4-hydroxybutyrate-based suture material (Monomax®). Here, we report short-term surgical outcomes. RESULTS: At 30 (+10) days postoperatively, 3 (1.40%) of 215 patients in the short-stitch group and 10 (4.76%) of 210 patients in the long-stitch group had developed burst abdomen [OR 0.2830 (0.0768-1.0433), p = 0.0513]. Ruptured suture, seroma and hematoma and other wound healing disorders occurred in small numbers without differences between groups. In a planned Cox proportional hazard model for burst abdomen, the short-stitch group had a significantly lower risk [HR 0.1783 (0.0379-0.6617), p = 0.0115]. CONCLUSIONS: Although this trial revealed no significant difference in short-term results between the short-stitch and long-stitch techniques for closure of midline laparotomy, a trend towards a lower rate of burst abdomen in the short-stitch group suggests a possible advantage of the short-stitch technique. TRIAL REGISTRY: NCT01965249, registered October 18, 2013.

Hyperinfection with Strongyloides stercoralis presenting as acute abdomen in a patient on corticosteroid therapy: A case report.

Infection with Strongyloides stercoralis, a human pathogenic roundworm, is common in tropical countries like India. Owing to its variable clinical presentation and irregular larval output in stool, it often remains neglected and underdiagnosed. Signs and symptoms are largely dependent on the immune status of the infected individual. Alteration in the host immunity due to chronic use of steroids can surge the number of parasites and cause hyperinfection syndrome. This can be catastrophic with a fatal outcome. Focus on early detection and treatment of the parasite in at-risk patients is imperative to reduce mortality. We summarize here an interesting case of hyper infection syndrome of strongyloidiasis with gangrenous bowel changes later progressing to burst abdomen.

Failure of Abdominal Wall Closure: Prevention and Management.

This article reviews evidence-based techniques for abdominal closure and management strategies when abdominal wall closures fail. In particular, optimal primary fascial closure techniques, the role of prophylactic mesh, considerations for combined hernia repair, closure techniques when the fascia cannot be closed primarily, and management approaches for fascial dehiscence are reviewed.

Outcome of abdominal binder in midline abdominal wound Dehiscence in terms of pain, psychological satisfaction and need for reclosure.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the role of abdominal binder in patients with midline wound dehiscence after elective or emergency laparotomy in terms of pain, psychological satisfaction and need for reclosure. METHODS: It was a comparative study done at EAST Surgical Ward of Mayo Hospital, Lahore from 1st January 2018 to 31st December 2019. One hundred and sixty-two (162) patients were included in this study with post-operative midline abdominal wound dehiscence and after informed consent by consecutive non probability sampling technique. Patients were divided into two groups by lottery method into eighty-one patients each. Group-A included patients where abdominal binder was applied and Group-B included patients without abdominal binder. In both groups pain score, psychological satisfaction and need for reclosure was assessed and compared. RESULTS: Patients with abdominal binder shows significantly less pain (P value =0.000) and more psychological satisfaction (P value = 0.000) as compared to the patients where abdominal binder was not used. However, there was no difference in reducing the need for reclosure in patients who use abdominal binder (P value = 0.063). CONCLUSION: Although abdominal binder helps in reducing the pain and improving the psychological satisfaction in patients with midline abdominal wound dehiscence yet it doesn't help in healing of wound and reclosure of the dehisced abdominal wound is needed.

Floating appendix: post-traumatic amputation of the appendix as sequela or complication?: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Appendicitis following trauma is a well-documented sequela of blunt trauma to the abdomen, while appendiceal transection following trauma is extremely rare. Literature reports have documented appendicitis and appendiceal transection as the presenting pathology in a trauma setting. This is first report of auto-amputation of the appendix as a delayed presentation with peritonitis, which was detected during the second surgery in a child with blunt abdominal trauma. CASE PRESENTATION: A 11-year-old Asian boy presented to our center with a 2-day history of blunt abdominal trauma and chief complaint of severe abdominal pain. On evaluation, a computed tomography scan showed gross pneumoperitoneum. The child underwent emergency laparotomy, where a jejunal perforation was noted, which was repaired. The rest of the bowel and solid organs were healthy. The child was managed in the intensive care unit postoperatively, when he developed a burst abdomen. During the second surgery, pyoperitoneum and free-floating appendix were found in the left paracolic gutter. After peritoneal wash, the bowel was noted to be healthy and the previous jejunal repair was intact. The child was allowed oral intake of food and discharged on postoperative days 4 and 8, respectively. At the 1-year follow-up, he remained asymptomatic. CONCLUSIONS: This case report is unique as it describes auto-amputation of the appendix as a delayed event in the course of treatment for blunt trauma of the abdomen. Although a remote event, the possibility of amputation of the appendix should be retained as a differential diagnosis and unusual complication in cases of delayed peritonitis.

Interrupted sutures prevent recurrent abdominal fascial dehiscence: a comparative retrospective single center cohort analysis of risk factors of burst abdomen and its recurrence as well as surgical repair techniques.

BACKGROUND: Burst abdomen (BA) is a severe complication after abdominal surgery, which often requires urgent repair. However, evidence on surgical techniques to prevent burst abdomen recurrence (BAR) is scarce. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with BA comparing them to patients with superficial surgical site infections from the years 2015 to 2018. The data was retrieved from the institutional wound register. We analyzed risk factors for BA occurrence as well as its recurrence after BA repair and surgical closure techniques that would best prevent BAR. RESULTS: We included 504 patients in the analysis, 111 of those suffered from BA. We found intestinal resection (OR 172.510; 22.195-1340.796, p < 0.001), liver cirrhosis (OR 4.788; 2.034-11.269, p < 0.001) and emergency surgery (OR 1.658; 1.050-2.617; p = 0.03) as well as postoperative delirium (OR 5.058; 1.349-18.965, p = 0.016) as the main predictor for developing BA. The main reason for BA was superficial surgical site infection (40.7%). 110 patients received operative revision of the abdominal fascial dehiscence and 108 were eligible for BAR analysis with 14 cases of BAR. Again, post-operative delirium was the patient-related predictor for BAR (OR 13.73; 95% CI 1.812-104-023, p = 0.011). The surgical technique of using interrupted sutures opposed to continuous sutures showed a preventive effect on BAR (OR 0.143, 95% CI 0.026-0,784, p = 0.025). The implantation of an absorbable IPOM mesh did not reduce BAR, but it did reduce the necessity of BAR revision significantly. CONCLUSION: The use of interrupted sutures together with the implantation of an intraabdominal mesh in burst abdomen repair helps to reduce BAR and the need for additional revision surgeries.