title: [Results of a national survey on abdominal wall closure].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess knowledge on the abdominal wall closure through a surgeon cohort survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  A twenty question individual questionnaire on laparotomy in elective surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 131 surgeons from seven hospitals responded (72% specialists and 28% in training). 71% of respondents estimated the frequency of incisional hernia to be higher than 15% and 54% considered the technique to be the most significant risk factor. 85% considered midline laparotomy closed with slow absorbable suture (57%) in a single layer (66%) to be the most appropriate technique. 67% believed retention sutures to be the appropriate prevention technique. 50% did not know or could not apply the 4:1 technique. 87% considered that an incisional hernia can be prevented and that the technique is the most important factor on which to act. 84% believed that a prosthesis can prevent the occurrence of incisional hernia, whereas 40% of respondents never use it and only 38% use it in patients at risk. On comparing surveys between specialists and residents, significant differences appeared in terms of a better understanding of the theoretical technical aspects in trainee surgeons.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the results show an adequate understanding of the epidemiology and risk factors for development of incisional hernia, training and consensus measures are likely to be introduced in some basic technical aspects in order to improve results in laparotomy closure.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cirugía General y Digestiva, Hospital Universitari del Mar, Barcelona, España; Departmento de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, España. Electronic address: 86664@parcdesalutmar.cat.
authors.forename: José Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: López-Cano
authors.forename: Francesc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marsal
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Feliu
mesh_terms: D058107:Abdominal Wound Closure Techniques; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006555:Hernia, Ventral / Q000601:surgery*; D059685:Herniorrhaphy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007813:Laparotomy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Cierre laparotomía; Encuesta; Hernia incisional; Incisional hernia; Laparotomy closure; Survey