Stitch showdown: can a shorter stitch prevent hernias after belly surgery?

NCT ID NCT01965249

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026

Summary

This study tested two ways of closing the belly wall after major abdominal surgery to see which one leads to fewer hernias. 425 adults having planned surgery were randomly assigned to get either a long stitch or a short stitch using a special slowly-absorbing thread called Monomax. The main goal was to check for hernias one year later using ultrasound.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance

Monomax suture (a slowly absorbed, elastic, monofilament thread)

What this could lead to

If the short stitch technique works better, it could reduce the number of people who develop a hernia after abdominal surgery, leading to fewer follow-up operations.

What could go wrong

This is a completed trial comparing two surgical techniques, so results are already known. The benefit may be small, and individual surgeon skill can affect outcomes.

Disclaimer Read more

This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • AKH Linz

    Linz, 4021, Austria

  • Klinik am Eichert, Allgemeinchirurgische Klinik

    Göppingen, 73035, Germany

  • Klinikum Landkreis Tuttlingen, Klinik für Allgemein-, Viszeral, und Gefäßchirurgie

    Tuttlingen, 78532, Germany

  • Klinikum der Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe Universität

    Frankfurt, 60590, Germany

  • LMU Großhadern

    München, 81377, Germany

  • Robert Bosch KH Stuttgart

    Stuttgart, 70376, Germany

  • Städtisches Klinikum Braunschweig

    Braunschweig, 38126, Germany

  • Vivantes Klinikum Spandau

    Berlin, 13585, Germany

  • Wilhelminenspital Wien

    Vienna, 1160, Austria