Table 3

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria

Age equal or greater than 18 years
Peritonitis
Expected survival time more than 12 months
Emergency surgery
Patients undergoing primary and elective midline laparotomy (patients with prior laparoscopy or abdominal operation via paramedian incision (e.g. appendectomy) may be included in the trial
Coagulopathy (= A group of disorders of the blood clotting (coagulation) system in which bleeding is prolonged and excessive with abnormal values in the blood laboratory
• Lack of compliance
BMI < 35
Severe psychiatric or neurologic disease
Expected length of skin incision > 15 cm
Lack of informed consent

Participation in another intervention with interference of intervention and outcome of this trial

Drug- and/or alcohol-abuse according to local standard

Current immunosuppressive therapy (more than 40 mg of a corticoid per days or azathioprin

Chemotherapy within two 2 before operation

Radiotherapy of the abdomen completed less than 8 weeks before operation

Inability to understand and to follow the instructions given by the investigator (e.g. insufficient command of language, dementia, lack of time)

Pregnant or breast-feeding woman (according to information given by the patient)

Patients who have been committed to an institution by virtue of an order issued either by the courts or by an authority

Fischer et al. BMC Surgery 2008 8:12   doi:10.1186/1471-2482-8-12