Authors: Aalia Tayyba , Nusrat Manzoor , Hafiz Mohammad Dawood , Zafar Iqbal Bhatti , Muhammad Zubair

Abstract

Background and Objective: Episiotomy is the most common surgical procedure in obstetrics and the utilization of this surgical technique is increasing day by day. The importance of absorbable sutures for episiotomy repair cannot be denied. This study was carried out to compare post-episiotomy repair complications between continuous subcutaneous stitching with vicryland interrupted mattress closure with catgut.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in Hussain Memorial Hospital Lahore and Kishwar Fazal Teaching Hospital Sheikhupura. Four hundred patients, admitted with labour pains were equally divided into two groups. Group A, comprised of patients, who had episiotomy repair by continuous subcuticular sutures with vicryl and group B patient’s episiotomy repair was done by interrupted mattress sutures with catgut. All patients were delivered by vaginal route with episiotomy, to widen the perineum. The details of history and post episiotomy repair complications like postpartum pain, in duration, process of healing, wound discharge, wound dehiscence and need for re-stitching were recorded in the relevant proformas. Post-partum pain in episiotomy stitches was assessed by a visual analogue scale.
Results: Among 400 patients mostly were primipara; 73% in group A and 75% in group B. A total of 44% of patients in the study belonged to age group between 21 to 25 years. Analgesia was required in 5% patients of group B and 9% of group A patients, which was statistically significant (P-value< 0.05). Among post-operative complications, feeling of stretch in the stitches and wound dehiscence were statistically significant in group B with P-value 0.02 and P-value 0.04 respectively when compared with group A.
Conclusion: It is concluded that repair of episiotomy by subcuticular stitches with vicryl causes less post-operative complications and a better healing with less complications than closure by interrupted mattress suture with catgut.

Keywords: Episiotomy, Continuous subcuticular repair, Interrupted mattress sutures, Perineal discomfort.