Table 2 Eligibility Criteria

• Age equal or greater than 18 years

• Expected survival time more than 12 months

• Patients undergoing primary and elective median laparotomy (patients with prior laparoscopy or abdominal operation via paramedian incision (e.g. appendectomy) may be included in the trial)

• BMI < 35

• Expected length of incision > 15 cm

• Patient must be able to give informed consent

• Patient has given informed consent

• Peritonitis

• Emergency surgery

• Participation in another intervention-trial with interference of intervention and outcome of this study

• Coagulopathy

A group of disorders of the blood clotting (coagulation) system in which bleeding is prolonged and excessive with abnormal values in the blood laboratory.

• Severe psychiatric or neurologic diseases

• Lack of compliance

• Drug- and/or alcohol-abuse according to local standards

• Current immunosuppressive therapy (more than 40 mg of a corticoid per day or azathioprin)

• Chemotherapy within 2 weeks before operation

• Radiotherapy of the abdomen completed longer than 8 weeks before operation

• Inability to follow the instructions given by the investigator or the telephone interviewer (insufficient command of language, dementia, lack of time)

• Lack of informed consent