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Many patients and providers prefer the transverse (Pfannenstiel) incision for cesarean deliveries and nonlaparoscopic surgeries. Although this aesthetically pleasing approach lowers the risk for incisional hernias, it has been associated with chronic pain. In a Dutch study, women who had Pfannenstiel incisions for cesarean delivery or abdominal hysterectomy completed questionnaires about whether they had pain at or near the incision site. Women were asked about the severity, nature, duration, and location of pain.
Median time from surgery to study entry was 26 months; follow-up was 2 years. One third of 690 patients reported chronic pain associated with the incision site during the month before completing the questionnaires. Sixty-two women …