Complication rates in very low and extremely low birth weight infants following laparotomy: a prospective study

Introduction Surgical site occurrences (SSO), including surgical site infection, dehiscence, and incisional hernia, are complications following laparotomy. SSO rates in premature neonates are poorly understood. We hypothesize that SSO rates are higher among extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants compared to very low birth weight (VLBW) infants and strive to determine the optimal abdominal closure method for these infants. Methods We conducted a prospective observational study of infants < 1.5 kg (kg) undergoing laparotomy at two institutions from 1/1/2020 to 5/1/2022. Patients were grouped by weight and closure; SSO rates were computed and the association tested using Fisher’s exact test. Results We identified 59 patients and 104 total operations. At initial surgery, 37 patients weighed < 1 kg (ELBW); 22 patients weighed 1–1.5 kg (VLBW). Complication rate for ELBW was 6(16%) vs. 2(9%) in VLBW, but not significant ( p = 0.45). More complications followed a single-layer compared to a two-layer closure (18 vs. 2), but not significant ( p = 0.30). Conclusions SSO rates are higher for ELBW infants undergoing laparotomy, and fewer complications follow two-layer closure. However, these findings did not reach statistical significance. Further studies are needed to identify modifiable factors to reduce postoperative complications in these infants.