13.01.14 Surgical scars

Abdominal scars - summary

Complete list

1 - Kocher's Incision

    • Biliary surgery eg. Cholecystectomy

    • Hepatic surgery (may also require a larger transverse incision for wider access: eg. Liver Transplant)

2 - Upper Midline laparotomy

    • Nissens fundoplication

        • observe: associated with Gastrostomy tube?

    • Upper GI surgery

2a - Lower / Long Midline Laparotomy Scars

    • Any major abdominal surgery

3 - Transverse Upper Abdominal Incision

    • Repair of congenital diaphragmatic hernia

    • Splenic surgery

4 - Ramstedt's Pyloromyotomy Scar

    • Ramstedt's Pyloromyotomy Scar - treatment of Pyloric Stenosis

5 - Grid-Iron Incisions at McBurney's Poiint

    • Appendicectomy

        • A non-inflamed appendix should always be removed once this scar has been made so that clinicians are not mislead in the future.

        • Called the 'Grid-Iron' incision due to the way the muscle layers are divided at operation.

        • McBurney's Point: the junction of the distal third and proximal two thirds of the line between the umbilicus and the anterior superior iliac crest.

6 - Umbilical / Sub-umbilical Scars

    • Hernia repairs

    • Gastroschisis repair

    • Exomphalos

7 - Point incision marks

    • Laparoscopy port sites

    • Drain sites

    • Also consider abdominal wound sites for Ventriculo-Peritoneal shunts

8 - Inguinal Incisions

    • Inguinal hernia repairs

    • Vascular access scars

9 - Lateral Thoracolumbar Incision

    • Renal Surgery - eg. Nephrectomy

10 - 'Hockey-Stick' scar

    • Examine for orthotopic renal transplant