title: Continuous versus interrupted episiotomy repair with monofilament or multifilament absorbed suture materials: a randomised controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare different repair techniques and different suture materials for episiotomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  160 women having vertex delivery with right-mediolateral episiotomy were randomly allocated to four groups. In the groups where continuos technique was performed, vaginal mucosa, perineal muscles and the skin were sutured continuously. In the groups of interrupted technique, vaginal mucosa was sutured with continuous sutures, then muscle layers and skin were closed by interrupted sutures. Two different types of synthetic absorbed suture material were used: monofilament type is in form of polyglycolide-co-caprolactone and multifilament one is polyglactin 910-Rapide. Perineal pain during different activities on the first and tenth day postpartum and also during sexual intercourse 6 weeks after the delivery was questioned by visual analogous scale (VAS). Furthermore, repair time, amount of suture and episiotomy complications were investigated in each groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On the first day after delivery, the perineal pain scores, the repair time, the amount of suture were statistically less in the continuous technique groups. The differences between the pain at tenth day and during sexual intercourse 6 weeks after the delivery were statistically same.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The continuous suturing techniques for episiotomy closure, compared to interrupted methods, are associated with less short-term pain, are quicker and also need less suture material.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Zekai Tahir Burak Woman's Health Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. d.ozturkkan@yahoo.com.tr
authors.forename: Demet
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kokanalı
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ugur
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuntay Kokanalı
authors.forename: Rana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Karayalcın
authors.forename: Esra
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tonguc
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003075:Coitus; D004841:Episiotomy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010149:Postoperative Pain; D010502:Perineum / Q000601:surgery*; D011247:Pregnancy; D013536:Suture Techniques; D013537:Sutures; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult