O05 1-YEAR RESULTS OF AN INTERNATIONAL RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (ESTOIH STUDY) COMPARING THE “SHORT STITCH” VERSUS “LONG STITCH” TECHNIQUE USING AN ULTRA-LONG ABSORBABLE ELASTIC SUTURE MATERIAL

Aim The aim of this multicenter, randomized, double blinded study was to compare the short stitch technique for elective, primary, median laparotomy closure with the long stitch closure using the ultra-long absorbable, elastic monofilament suture made of poly 4-hydroxybutyrate (MonoMax®). Material and Methods Eligible patients were randomly allocated to receive either the short or the long stitch suture technique in a 1:1 ratio in 9 centers in Austria and Germany after elective midline laparotomy. Results 425 patients were randomized to receive either the short stitch (n = 215) or long stitch technique (n = 210). In a cox proportional hazards model, the risk for burst abdomen was reduced by 7-fold (HR 0.183 (0.0427 - 0.7435), p = 0.0179) for the short stitch group. Complications such as seroma, hematoma and other wound healing disorders occurred without significant differences between groups. After one year, the incisional hernia rate was 3.65% in the short stitch group compared to 8.80% in the long stitch group (p = 0.055). The combination of burst abdomen and incisional hernia rate had a significantly lower rate of 5.38% for the short stitch technique compared to 13.17% for the long stitch technique (p = 0.0142). Conclusions Both in the short-term results, the short-stitch technique showed substantial advantages in burst abdomen rate, as well as in the 1-year follow-up regarding the incidence of incisional hernias. The low incidence of incisional hernia in the short stitch technique with MonoMax® is promising in comparison to previously published data and should be confirmed in the 3-year follow-up.

P108 SARCOPENIA INCREASES THE RISK OF BURST ABDOMEN AFTER EMERGENCY MIDLINE LAPAROTOMY: A MATCHED CASE-CONTROL STUDY

Aim The aim of this study was to investigate the association of sarcopenia with the risk of burst abdomen after midline laparotomy. Material and Methods A single-center, retrospective, 1:4 matched case-control study of patients suffering from burst abdomen (cases) and controls. Sarcopenia was defined as lowest sex-dependent quartile of total cross-sectional psoas area adjusted for body surface area. Primary outcome was to evaluate the rate of sarcopenic patients among cases and controls. Secondary, risk-factors for burst abdomen and postoperative death, were evaluated by multivariate regression analysis. Results 67 patients suffering from burst abdomen were matched to 268 controls. Sarcopenia was associated with burst abdomen (OR 2.3, p = 0.006). Unadjusted analysis identified a higher 90-day mortality among sarcopenic patients compared to the non-sarcopenia group (32.9% vs. 21.1%, p = 0.029) but this association was not verified by the adjusted analysis. Conclusions Sarcopenia is an isolated risk-factor for burst abdomen after midline laparotomy.

P111 HIGH RATE OF INCISIONAL HERNIA AFTER MASS CLOSURE OF BURST ABDOMEN

Aim This study investigated the long-term effect of a standardized strategy of fascial closure with a mass closure technique, using a slowly absorbable running stitch for burst abdomen and evaluated the incidence of incisional hernia in these patients. Material and Methods A single-center, retrospective study including all patients that underwent surgery for burst abdomen between June 2014 and April 2019 was followed up in October 2020 to report the rate of incisional hernias. Results 94 patients underwent surgery for burst abdomen. 80 patients was enrolled for follow up. Index surgery was acute in 78%. Incisional hernia rate was 33%. 30-day mortality rate was 24%. Conclusions Standardized surgery for burst abdomen with a standardized mass-closure technique still results in high rates of incisional hernias.

Successful Management of Abdominal Wound Dehiscence with Bogota bag, Vacuum assisted Closure combined with Tension Sutures

The burst abdomen management has advanced significantly. Here we present a management of a burst abdomen of morbid obese patient with combination of modality including Bogota bag, vacuum assisted closure and tension suturing. The patient underwent laparotomy for removal of sigmoid tumor with local infiltration and had wound dehiscence associated with infection, tissue oedema and necrosis. As patient was morbidly obese and had large wound gap, we decided to manage it with Bogota bag principal and Vacuum Assisted Closing. After successful formation of granulation tissue, we were able to apply tension sutures. Hence using combination of above-mentioned options, the patient was successfully sent back to his normal routines without any complication.

EP.FRI.466 Indications and Outcome of Abdominal Re-exploration in the Pediatric Population. A Single Centre Experience

Abdominal exploration (ARE) is an important complication of abdominal surgery and has an effect on morbidity and mortality. ARE refers to exploration performed within 60 days following initial surgery. The purpose of this study is to know the grounds for performing re-exploration and its effects on the outcome. Methods This retrospective study was carried out in the pediatric surgery unit of Khyber teaching hospital from May 2017 to May 2019. All patients under the age of 16 years who underwent abdominal re-exploration within 60 days of the initial procedure were included in the study. Results A total of 55 re-exploration were done in the study duration of 2 years. The mean age of patients was 41 months (range of 0.06 to 168 months) male patients were 64%. On initial presentation, 56% of cases were emergency cases and 44% were elective. Common indications for re-exploration were, intestinal obstruction 29.1%, peritonitis 16.4%, complications of stoma 16.4%, burst abdomen 10.9%. The mean interval from initial surgery was 12.5±13.7 days. Common operative findings of re-exploration were inter-loop adhesions, anastomotic disruption, burst abdomen, anastomotic leak, intra-abdominal collection, gangrenous stoma, and para-stomal herniation. ARE resulted in 14.5% mortality. Conclusion Abdominal re-exploration is mainly indicated for intestinal obstruction and peritonitis. Inter loop adhesions and anastomotic leak are common surgical findings during re-exploration. The mortality rate is high in patients re-explored for peritonitis, fecal fistula, abdominal collection, and wound dehiscence.

Lessons Learned in 11 Years of Experience With Open Abdomen Treatment With Negative-Pressure Therapy for Various Abdominal Emergencies

Introduction: Open abdomen (OA) treatment with negative-pressure therapy (NPT) was initiated for perforated diverticulitis and subsequently extended to other abdominal emergencies. The aim of this retrospective study was to analyze the indications, procedures, duration of NPT, and the outcomes of all our patients.Methods: All consecutive patients treated with intra-abdominal NPT from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2018 were retrospectively analyzed.Results: A total of 438 patients (44% females) with a median (range) age of 66 (12–94) years, BMI of 25 (14–48) kg/m2, and ASA class I, II, III, and IV scores of 36 (13%), 239 (55%), 95 (22%), and 3(1%), respectively, were treated with NPT. The indication for surgery was primary bowel perforation in 163 (37%), mesenteric ischemia in 53 (12%), anastomotic leakage in 53 (12%), ileus in 53 (12%), postoperative bowel perforation/leakage in 32 (7%), abdominal compartment in 15 (3%), pancreatic fistula in 13 (3%), gastric perforation in 13 (3%), secondary peritonitis in 11 (3%), burst abdomen in nine (2%), biliary leakage in eight (2%), and other in 15 (3%) patients. A damage control operation without reconstruction in the initial procedure was performed in 164 (37%) patients. The duration of hospital and intensive care stay were, median (range), 28 (0–278) and 4 (0–214) days. The median (range) duration of operation was 109 (22–433) min and of NPT was 3(0–33) days. A trend to shorter duration of NPT was observed over time and in the colonic perforation group. The mean operating time was shorter when only blind ends were left in situ, namely 110 vs. 133 min (p = 0.006). The mortality rates were 14% at 30 days, 21% at 90 days, and 31% at 1 year. An entero-atmospheric fistula was observed in five (1%) cases, most recently in 2014. Direct fascia closure was possible in 417 (95%) patients at the end of NPT, but least often (67%, p = 0.00) in patients with burst abdomen. During follow-up, hernia repair was observed in 52 (24%) of the surviving patients.Conclusion: Open abdomen treatment with NPT is a promising concept for various abdominal emergencies, especially when treated outside normal working hours. A low rate of entero-atmospheric fistula formation and a high rate of direct fascia closure were achieved with dynamic approximation of the fascia edges. The authors recommend an early-in and early-out strategy as the prolongation of NPT by more than 1 week ends up in a frozen abdomen and does not improve abdominal sepsis.

Abdominal Wound Dehiscence: A Review of Risk Factors, Prevention and Management in Obstetrics and Gynecology Practice

<p>Abdominal wound dehiscence (AWD) is considered as a severe postoperative complication in which there is a partial or complete disruption of an abdominal wound closure with or without protrusion and evisceration. The incidence and mortality rate varies in different health centers. Risk factors are classified into three groups, which includes: pre-operative, intra-operative, and post-operative. The management of Burst Abdomen or Wound Dehiscence is diverse from conservative treatment to surgical treatment.</p>

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.

Spontaneous gastric perforation: is it really common?

Background Neonatal gastric perforation (NGP) is a rare, serious, and life-threatening condition which needs early recognition with prompt intervention for better prognosis. Its etiology is not yet well established, but multiple speculations have been put forth for its etiopathogenesis. Few most considered are traumatic, spontaneous, or secondary to inflammatory process like necrotizing enterocolitis. This study describes the etiological and prognostic factors for patients with NGP in our experience at a single center. Results A total of 46 neonates were included. Male gender predominated with M:F being 1.7:1. Most (n=36) neonates presented within 10 days of life whereas 8 neonates presented within 15 days. At presentation, gas under diaphragm was the most common radiologic finding in 25 (54.3%) neonates. On exploratory laparotomy, it was found that greater curvature was involved in maximum number of cases (n=27), followed by lesser curvature and anterior and posterior walls of the stomach. Most of perforations were within 1–5 cm in size. Gastrorrhaphy was done in all cases, and in two cases, feeding jejunostomy was done along with repair for feeding purpose. Finally, spontaneous NGP was diagnosed in 30 (60.8%), and NEC patches on other parts of the intestine were seen in 11 patients. Postoperatively, 28 neonates developed complications in the form of sepsis (n=13), wound infection (n=10), and burst abdomen (n=5). Regarding clinical outcome, 27 (58.7%) were discharged from the hospital whereas 19 (39.3%) patients died. Conclusion Our results show that spontaneous NGP is most commonly associated with NEC in our population, usually affecting the greater curvature. We observed a high mortality rate; however, good ICU care may improve the survival.

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.