Fascial Dehiscence

Excerpt

Fascial dehiscence is the separation of the edges of abdominal fascia that has been sutured together following a surgery. This technical issue is a concerning complication of open surgical intervention, which often results in the need for additional surgical intervention; dehiscence also represents a significant influence on postoperative morbidity and mortality. High clinical suspicion is essential for early identification and treatment to prevent short- and long-term complications, eg, chronic wounds, hernias, and evisceration. Early fascial dehiscence may be detectable only on radiologic imaging. Optimizing patient factors and surgical techniques can limit the rates of development of fascial dehiscence and thus spare the patient the associated morbidities and need for additional surgical procedures.