Critical evaluation of conventional abdominal closure with single-layer closure in adult and elderly

Two different techniques of abdominal closure, conventional and single-layer, were studied on comparative basis in 55 cases each. Single-layer closure was found to have definite advantage over conventional closure as regards operating or healing time, feasibility, ease and postoperative morbidity. Single-layer closure took 8-10 minutes in comparison to 18-20 minutes required by conventional method. Incidence of burst abdomen was found to be 3.6% in the former and 7.27% in the latter. In only one case of conventional closure incisional hernia occurred whereas none occurred in case of single-layer closure. Moreover complications of scar and delayed healing were less in single-layer closure.