Closure of laparotomy incisions with or without peritoneal suturing and second-look laparoscopy.

The effect of peritoneal closure after reproductive surgery by Pfannenstiel incisions was studied clinically and by second-look laparoscopy. No difference was found in the length of hospital stay, the incidence of wound complications, and other postoperative complications after abdominal closure with (group peritoneal closure, n = 168) or without peritoneal suturing (group no peritoneal closure, n = 165). The laparoscopic findings of 63 patients in the group with peritoneal closure and 57 patients in the group without closure were compared with those in 150 infertile women with no history of abdominal surgery (control group). No adhesions to the anterior abdominal wall were found in the control group. The incidence of these adhesions was not statistically different between the group with peritoneal closure (22.2%) and the group without peritoneal closure (15.8%). This study suggests that there is no difference in postoperative complications, wound healing, and adhesions to previous laparotomy incisions after laparotomy closure with or without peritoneal suturing.