OUTCOME OF SIMPLE INTERRUPTED VERSUS FIGURE OF-EIGHT INTERRUPTED SUTURES FOR WOUND CLOSURE IN PEDIATRIC LAPAROTOMY WOUNDS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

Abstract

Objectives: To compare the postoperative wound outcomes of figure-of-eight interrupted sutures versus simple interrupted sutures for abdominal wound closure in pediatric laparotomy patients. Study Design: Randomized controlled trial. Study Setting & Duration: The Children's Hospital and University of Child Health Sciences, Lahore, from October 2025 to March 2026 Methodology: A total of 302 children aged 1–12 years undergoing laparotomy were enrolled and randomly allocated into two groups (151 patients each) by balloting method. All participants were treated according to standard perioperative protocols and followed for 30 days post operatively. The study outcome measures included wound infection, wound dehiscence, time to wound healing, and cosmetic result. Data were analyzed using SPSS. Descriptive analysis was performed by either mean ± SD or median (range) as appropriate for continuous variables. Independent sample t-tests (or Mann-Whitney U-tests) for comparison between continuous variables; categorical variables were evaluated by frequency and percentage, followed by chi-square analysis. A p-value ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: In total, 302 patients (151 per group) were included; there were no significant differences in the baseline characteristics or operating parameters for either group or their average outcomes. Results for wound infection (p=0.908), wound dehiscence (p=0.908), wound healing time (p=0.907), and aesthetics (p=0.991) were statistically similar between the groups as well. Conclusion: Figure-of-eight interrupted sutures did not demonstrate superiority over simple interrupted sutures for pediatric laparotomy wound closure. Both techniques showed comparable rates of wound complications, healing time, and cosmetic outcomes.