Transverse versus midline incision for upper abdominal surgery.

PURPOSE: Transverse and midline abdominal incisions are both commonly used for laparotomy to perform surgery on the pancreas and stomach, but comparative data are limited, especially from prospective randomized trials.

METHODS: During a predefined 2-year recruitment period, 94 patients undergoing an elective major laparotomy for disorders of the pancreas or stomach were enrolled in this study. The outcome measures were pulmonary function, incisional pain, and wound characteristics.

RESULTS: The operation groups were equally divided according to the type of incision used. The patients who underwent transverse incision laparotomy had significantly better postoperative pulmonary function and significantly less postoperative incisional pain than those who underwent midline incision laparotomy (P < 0.05), but there were no differences in morbidity and the incidence of wound complications.

CONCLUSION: Performing a transverse incision for surgery on the pancreas or stomach results in better postoperative pulmonary function and less incisional pain than a midline incision, without affecting postoperative morbidity.