Update on surgical incisions, wound closures, and drains

These experts urge meticulous wound closure, as they share their own protocols and tips and review your incision options for complicated open pelvic surgery-especially in obese women.

Despite the popularity of laparoscopy for pelvic surgery, many gynecologic surgeries are still open procedures-and will continue to be. And that makes a knowledge of incisions anything but obsolete.

Our purpose here is to review the various incisions that can be used for operative gynecologic conditions as well as incisions used for obese patients. Certainly, selection of an incision must be highly individualized. But that said, don't let an individual patient bent on preserving her cosmetic appearance dictate your choice of incision, if doing so would compromise your surgical approach.

Transverse incisions