CESAREAN WOUND OUTCOME WITH SUBCUTICULAR ABSORBABLE SUTURES

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the wound outcome after elective cesarean section closed with subcuticular absorbable sutures in terms of frequency of wound closure, post-operative pain score, and frequency of wound infection. Study type: Descriptive, cross-sectional study. Settings: Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department of Hilal e Ahmar Hospital, Faisalabad Duration of study: October 2025 to January 2026. Methodology: Toal 178 patients undergoing elective cesarean sections who were 20–40 years old and of any parity at term were included. Any underlying skin conditions, emergency procedures, and contaminated wound spills were not included. To guarantee uniformity in surgical technique, all CS were carried out by the same surgical team, which included consultants with a minimum of three years of post-fellowship experience. On the tenth post-operative day, patients were asked to come back for a clinical assessment. During the follow-up, a general physical examination was performed to evaluate the surgical wound for signs of infection, wound closure and pain assessment using VAS. Results: In terms of post-operative discomfort, 131 patients (73.60%) in our study reported no pain, whereas 29 patients (16.30%) reported light pain, 14 (7.90%) reported moderate pain, and 04 (2.20%) reported severe pain. In our study, there were 23 cases (12.90%) of surgical site infection (SSI) and 21 cases (11.80%) of wound dehiscence among patients receiving subcuticular sutures. Conclusion: This study found that subcutaneous tissue closure reduces wound complications during elective cesarean sections.