The clinical consequences of burst abdomen after emergency midline laparotomy: a prospective, observational cohort study

Abstract Purpose The emergency midline laparotomy is a commonly performed procedure with a burst abdomen being a critical surgical complication requiring further emergency surgery. This study aimed to investigate the clinical outcomes of patients with burst abdomen after emergency midline laparotomy. Methods A single-center, prospective, observational cohort study of patients undergoing emergency midline laparotomy during a two-year period was done. Abdominal wall closure followed a standardized technique using monofilament, slowly absorbable suture in a continuous suturing technique with a suture-to-wound ratio of at least 4:1. Treatment of burst abdomen was surgical. Data, including intra-hospital postoperative complications, were collected and registered chronologically based on journal entries. The primary outcome was to describe postoperative complications, length of stay, and the overall morbidity based on the Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI), stratified between patients who did and did not suffer from a burst abdomen during admission. Results A total of 543 patients were included in the final cohort, including 24 patients with burst abdomen during admission. The incidence of burst abdomen after emergency midline laparotomy was 4.4%. Patients with a burst abdomen had a higher total amount of complications per patient (median of 3, IQR 1.3–5.8 vs. median of 1, IQR 0.0–3.0; p = 0.001) and a significantly higher CCI (median of 53.0, IQR 40.3–94.8 vs. median of 21.0, IQR 0.0–42.0; p = < 0.001). Conclusion Patients with burst abdomen had an increased risk of postoperative complications during admission as well as a longer and more complicated admission with multiple non-surgical complications.