Effect of Single Layer Versus Double Layer Suturing on Healing of Caesarean Uterine Scar: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Caesarean section is the fetal delivery through an open abdominal incision (laparotomy) and an incision in the uterus (hysterotomy). The first caesarean documented occurred in 1020 AD, and since then, the procedure has evolved tremendously. It is now the most common surgery performed in Egypt, with over 1 million women delivered by caesarean every year. The caesarean delivery rate worldwide rose from 5% in 1970 to 31.9% in 2016 An optimal uterine closure should provide better scar healing. Closure of the uterine incision needs to be considered with regards to benefit and potential harm in order to offer the best available surgical care to women undergoing caesarean section. Surgical suturing technique and mechanical tension affecting the surgical wound are the most important factors related to the incisional integrity, especially for minimizing postoperative caesarean delivery scar defects .

Currently, a low-transverse incision is the preferred method of hysterotomy during caesarean delivery. This incision has traditionally been repaired with a two-layer closure. A two-layer closure usually involves a continuous, unlocking layer of absorbable suture with an addition of adds muscular fold to cover the first layer. Studies showed that women whose uterine incisions have been closed by double-layer following caesarean section experienced greater advantages in terms of residual myometrium thickness, healing ratio (residual myometrium thickness/adjacent myometrium thickness), and dysmenorrhea .

The safe cut off thickness of scar in post LSCS uterus varies from 1.5 to 3.5 mm; the thinning of the site is the cause of worry of dehiscence scar or rupture in next pregnancy. Closure of the uterine incision is a key step in caesarean delivery, correct approximation of the cut margins is not guaranteed .

This may be possibly due to edges getting overlapped; and, after remodelling and the process of the healing, thickness of the site of incision is significantly reduced. There is also a very high possibility of inter surgeon variability. It was felt that if there is a suturing technique which ensures correct approximation of all the layers with nil or minimal possibility of inters operator variability, there will not be any thinning of lower segment caesarean section LSCS site, and scarred uterus repaired in this manner will be able to withstand the stress of labor in future .

A growing body of evidence suggests that the surgical technique for uterus closure influences uterine scar defect, but there is still no consensus about optimal uterus closure. Some techniques seem to have the potential to decrease the risk of short-term complications, while others have long-term benefits, such as reduced risk of uterine rupture. Some maternal symptoms are related to the appearance of the uterine scar, and more specifically to a niche in the caesarean scar as a surrogate marker. niche is defined as an indentation in the myometrium of ≥2 mm in depth and is detectable by transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS), preferably with contrast to limit false negatives. Complications in subsequent pregnancies, including uterine rupture and placenta accreta spectrum disorders, are associated with thin residual myometrium .