Triclosan-Coated Abdominal Closure Sutures Reduce the Incidence of Surgical Site Infections after Pancreaticoduodenectomy

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is a serious complication after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). To prevent microbial colonization of suture material in operative wounds, triclosan-coated polyglactin sutures with antibacterial activity have been developed recently. Several clinical studies have shown that the use of such suture reduces SSIs in various operations, but its efficacy in PD has not been studied. We evaluated whether the incidence of SSI can be reduced when triclosan-coated sutures are used for abdominal incision closure after PD. Methods: This controlled clinical trial took place between December 2005 and February 2012 with a total of 198 consecutive patients who had undergone PD. The study group received triclosan-coated polyglactin 910 antimicrobial sutures between March 2009 and February 2012, and the control group received conventional wound closure between January 2005 and February 2009. We compared the rate and types of infections in the two groups. Results: In the study group, age, the incidence of diabetes mellitus, smoking history, and operating time were significantly greater than in the control group. The rates of SSI were 4.5% in the study group and 14.5% in the control group (p=0.037). Conclusions: The use of triclosan-coated sutures may help reduce the incidence of SSI after PD compared with conventional non-antibiotic sutures.