Controlled clinical trial of three suture materials for abdominal wall closure after bowl operations.

One hundred sixty-one consecutive patients who underwent bowel procedures were randomly assigned a nonabsorbable multifilament suture material, a nonabsorbable monofilament suture material or a long-term absorbable suture material for abdominal closure. All patients had midline incisions; closure was by an interrupted single layer technique. Patients were evaluated 1 month, 6 months and 1 year after operation. No statistically significant difference was seen in the incidence of wound infection in these groups. By 1 year, six patients had incisional hernias, none in the long-term absorbable suture group. The absence of suture sinus formation and the failure to demonstrate an increased incidence of wound dehiscence or incisional hernia imply that long-term absorbable suture material may be the most appropriate choice after bowel operations.