Comparison of the effect on blood flow of two intradermal suture patterns in feline skin: A within animal randomized controlled trial
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Published on: December 23, 2014
Sylvia Bayrakdarian1, Galina M Hayes1
1Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
Objective:
To compare the effect of two continuous intradermal suture patterns (modified Allgower-Donati [mAD] vs. horizontal mattress [SP]) on acute changes in cutaneous perfusion following closure of the skin incision in cats undergoing ovariohysterectomy.
Study Design:
Within animal randomized controlled trial conducted at three animal shelters.
Animals:
A total of 32 cats.
Methods:
Adult cats receiving elective ovariohysterectomy underwent standardized skin incisions closed with two intradermal suture patterns (mAD or SP) randomly assigned to the cranial or caudal half. All procedures were performed by an ACVS board certified surgeon. Incisional margin cutaneous perfusion was measured using a laser Doppler perfusion imager at baseline and following closure. Baseline perfusion was subtracted from post-suturing perfusion at each region obtaining a delta effect for each pattern. Incisional complications in the 30 days following surgery were also recorded.
Results:
Mean (±SD) surgical time was 19.3 ± 4.1 min. Cutaneous perfusion increased by a mean of 59.7 ± 124.1 blood perfusion units (BPU) from baseline with the mAD pattern, compared with a decrease of 20.2 ± 119.9 BPU from baseline for the standard suture pattern (p < .01). No cats re-presented for incisional complications.
Conclusion:
The mAD pattern resulted in improved wound margin perfusion compared with the SP pattern.
Clinical Significance:
The mAD pattern offers an alternative to the current standard of care intradermal pattern, maintaining the advantages of a buried pattern while improving perfusion to the wound margin.
