Evaluation of Suture Material for Closure of Hysterotomy

Cesarean sections are one of the most common surgeries performed in the United States; approximately 1 out of 3 births are completed by cesarean delivery. In 2014, 1,284,551 cesarean deliveries were performed. Unfortunately, even with this being a very common procedure some surgical topics have not been fully evaluated. One of these topics is the choice of suture for repair of the hysterotomy (uterine) incision. Several suture materials are available, yet only polygatactin-910 and catgut have been evaluated in a single study. In this study, only surgery complications were evaluated. Catgut was found to be associated with less risk of receiving a blood transfusion, otherwise no differences were found. One of the most common suture materials used at our institution is poliglecaprone 25, however no long term studies have been completed for this indication. In addition, no studies have evaluated the risk of uterine rupture with trial of labor after cesarean after using poliglecaprone 25 to repair the hysterotomy. This information could be very useful in counseling for patients. As the cesarean delivery rates continue to climb, information on appropriate technique for surgery are needed.