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

Abstract

Abstract 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.