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PeerJ2018; 6; e5772; doi: 10.7717/peerj.5772

Comparison of incisional complications between skin closures using a simple continuous or intradermal pattern: a pilot study in horses undergoing ventral median celiotomy.

Abstract: Development of incisional complications following ventral median celiotomy might depend on suture pattern for skin closure. Methods: In this prospective study, 21 healthy male horses underwent celiotomy. Skin closure was either performed via a continuous percutaneous pattern (CO group; 5 warmbloods/5 ponies) or an intradermal pattern (ID group; 5 warmbloods/6 ponies). Follow-up examination of the incisional site included daily monitoring for edema, dehiscence, and drainage. Transcutaneous ultrasound was performed at Days 3, 6, and 10 as well as on Week 8 and 12 to evaluate size of edema and presence or absence of sinus formation, and hernia formation. Prevalence of incisional infection on base of positive microbiological analysis at any time up to Day 10 was evaluated and compared between ID and CO group. Furthermore, edema size was analysed by a linear mixed-effect model for group and time dependency. Results: Observed incisional complications included edema (9/10 in CO, 10/11 in ID), suture sinus formation (2/10 in CO, 1/11 in ID), surgical site infection (2/10 in CO, 0/11 in ID), and incisional hernia (1/10 in CO, 0/11 in ID). The overall prevalence of incisional infection was 9.5% without significant differences between both groups (20% in CO, 0% in ID; p = 0.214). Edema size was not dependent on time or group (p = 0.545 and p = 0.627, respectively). Conclusions: CO and ID suture pattern are appropriate for skin closure following ventral median celiotomy in horses. None of the animals in the continuous ID group developed surgical site infections, even without the use of antibiotics.
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Publication Date: 2018-11-09 PubMed ID: 30430040PubMed Central: PMC6231425DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5772Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

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This research investigated the impact of different skin closure methods on surgical complications after a certain kind of abdomen surgery (ventral median celiotomy) in horses. The results suggest that both continuous percutaneous and intradermal suturing techniques are suitable for this procedure, although the intradermal method appeared to be associated with fewer post-surgery infections.

Study Design and Methodology

  • In this prospective, controlled study, two different skin closure techniques were evaluated in a group of 21 healthy male horses who underwent ventral median celiotomy, a surgical procedure that involves making an incision in the midline of the abdomen.
  • The horses were divided into two groups. Skin closure in the first group, known as the CO group, was carried out with a continuous percutaneous pattern, while in the second group, referred to as the ID group, an intradermal pattern was used.
  • Postoperative monitoring involved daily checks of the incision site for signs of edema (swelling due to fluid buildup), dehiscence (wound reopening), and drainage. Transcutaneous ultrasound scans were performed on specific days to assess the size of the edema, and to check for the formation of sinus tracts (abnormal channels in the body) or hernias (organs protruding through the surgical incision).
  • The researchers also tested for bacterial infection at the surgical site up to 10 days after the surgery, comparing the results between the ID and CO groups.

Findings

  • The researchers observed a similar incidence of edema in both groups, with 9 out of 10 horses in the CO group and 10 out of 11 horses in the ID group developing this complication.
  • Suture sinus formation, surgical site infection and incisional hernia were less common, occurring in a few horses in the CO group but none in the ID group.
  • The overall rate of surgical site infection was 9.5%. The CO group had a higher rate at 20% compared to 0% in the ID group, but the difference was not statistically significant.
  • Neither the type of suture pattern (CO or ID) nor the time elapsed since the surgery had a significant impact on the size of the edema.

Conclusions

  • Both the CO and ID suture patterns were deemed appropriate for skin closure following ventral median celiotomy in horses, however the ID suture pattern appeared safer with zero reported incidence of surgical site infections.
  • The findings of this research could potentially inform best practices for post-surgery care in veterinary medicine, particularly for horses undergoing abdominal surgery.

Cite This Article

APA
Scharner D, Gittel C, Winter K, Blaue D, Schedlbauer C, Vervuert I, Brehm W. (2018). Comparison of incisional complications between skin closures using a simple continuous or intradermal pattern: a pilot study in horses undergoing ventral median celiotomy. PeerJ, 6, e5772. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5772

Publication

PeerJ
ISSN: 2167-8359
NlmUniqueID: 101603425
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 6
Pages: e5772

Researcher Affiliations

Scharner, Doreen
  • Department for Horses, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Gittel, Claudia
  • Department for Horses, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Winter, Karsten
  • Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Blaue, Dominique
  • Institute of Animal Nutrition, Nutrition Diseases and Dietetics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Schedlbauer, Carola
  • Institute of Animal Nutrition, Nutrition Diseases and Dietetics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Vervuert, Ingrid
  • Institute of Animal Nutrition, Nutrition Diseases and Dietetics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Brehm, Walter
  • Department for Horses, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
  1. Rockow M, Griffenhagen G, Landolt G, Hendrickson D, Pezzanite L. Current Antimicrobial Use in Horses Undergoing Exploratory Celiotomy: A Survey of Board-Certified Equine Specialists. Animals (Basel) 2023 Apr 22;13(9).
    doi: 10.3390/ani13091433pubmed: 37174470google scholar: lookup
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