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Continuous versus interrupted skin sutures for non-obstetric surgery
Kurinchi Selvan Gurusamy1, Clare D Toon, Victoria B Allen
1Department of Surgery, Royal Free Campus, UCL Medical School, Royal Free Hospital, Rowland Hill Street, London, UK, NW3 2PF.
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|February 15, 2014
Summary
Continuous subcuticular sutures may reduce superficial wound dehiscence compared to interrupted sutures. However, evidence quality is uncertain, and further trials are needed to confirm benefits for surgical wound closure.
Area of Science:
- Surgical Innovation
- Wound Management
- Evidence-Based Medicine
Background:
- Surgical procedures commonly involve skin incisions requiring closure.
- Various methods exist for surgical wound closure, including sutures, staples, and adhesives.
- This review specifically examines continuous versus interrupted skin suture techniques.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the benefits and harms of continuous versus interrupted skin closure.
- To evaluate these techniques in participants undergoing non-obstetric surgery.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
- Searched multiple databases including Cochrane, MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL.
- Included RCTs comparing continuous with interrupted sutures, regardless of suture material.
Main Results:
- Five RCTs involving 827 participants were included; trials had unclear or high risk of bias.
- No significant difference in superficial surgical site infections between continuous and interrupted sutures.
- Superficial wound dehiscence was significantly lower with continuous sutures (RR 0.08; 95% CI 0.02 to 0.35), potentially due to absorbable subcuticular sutures not requiring removal.
Conclusions:
- Continuous subcuticular sutures may reduce superficial wound dehiscence.
- Evidence quality is limited, and the suture material type may influence results.
- Further high-quality, low-bias trials are needed to definitively determine optimal skin closure techniques.
