A Comparative Study of Wound Infections Following Wound Closure Using Staples and Absorbable Sutures Among Obese Patients Undergoing Lumbar Fusion Surgery

Background Infections of the wounds, organs, or spaces that develop following surgery are known as surgical site infections (SSIs). The incidence of wound infections in obese patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery with the use of absorbable sutures versus staples for skin closure has not been studied previously. Materials and methods We conducted a retrospective observational study in our hospital where cases of lumbar spine surgery meeting the inclusion criteria were chosen retrospectively from March 2021 to March 2023. A total of 40 patients aged >18 years and <75 years who underwent lumbar spine surgery were covered by this investigation. Two cohorts with 20 patients in each were chosen from the population. Group A used a skin stapler to close wounds, whereas group B used absorbable sutures. The number of wound infections was the main result. Using SPSS version 23.0 (IBM SPSS Statistics, Armonk, NY), all data were analyzed after being entered into an Excel sheet (Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA). Results A total of 40 participants were included in this study, and it revealed that there was no discernible variation in the groups' mean age or gender distribution. There is a significantly higher incidence of SSI in the absorbable suture group (35%) compared to the staple group (15%). The mean duration in days for the development of SSI in the absorbable suture group (9.86 +/- 2.12) was early compared to the staple group (12.67 +/- 2.08), which was statistically significant (p<0.05). Conclusion Compared to absorbable sutures, the current study showed a decreased incidence of surgical site infection in obese individuals receiving skin staples for wound closure.