[Polyglyconate or polyglycolic acid suture in patients with suspected impaired wound healing].

A randomized study of abdominal fascial closure using interrupted polyglyconate and polyglycolic acid sutures after laparotomy was carried out in 204 consecutive patients with suspected impaired wound healing. There were no statistically significant differences between the two sutures with regard to development of fascial disruption and incisional hernia. Wound infection demanding surgical intervention was found in 7% of patients with polyglyconate sutures and in 16% of those with polyglycolic acid sutures (p = 0.04). Monofilament polyglyconate suture does not reduce the incidence of fascial disruption and incisional hernia after laparotomy in patients with suspected impaired wound healing but the incidence of wound infection may be reduced compared with that of multifilament polyglycolic acid suture.