Subcutaneous Tissue: To Suture or Not to Suture at Cesarean Section

Objective: The null hypothesis for this investigation was that there was no difference in the frequency ofwound disruption betweenwomenwhohad theirsubcutaneous tissues approximated with suture and those who did not during cesarean section. Methods: During alternating months, consecutivewomen delivered by cesarean section either did (N 716) or did not (N 693) have their subcutaneous tissues closed with suture. All data were analyzed using chi square, Student’s t-test, Fisher’s exact probability test, analysis of variance, or logistic regression. Results:A 32% decrease in the frequency ofwound disruption was observed when subcutaneous tissues were brought into apposition with suture at cesarean section (P 0.03). Conclusions: Closure of Scarpa’s and Camper’s fascia with suture during cesarean section significantly decreased the frequency ofwound disruption in this population. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.