Primary Versus Delayed Wound Closure in Complicated Appendectomy (The HIEDI-Yemen Trial) (HIEDI-Yemen)

July 2, 2026 updated by: Haitham Mohammed Jowah, Sana'a University

A Comparative Study of Primary Versus Delayed Wound Closure Using the High-Efficiency Incision and Drainage With Irrigation (HIEDI) Technique to Minimize Surgical Site Infection (SSI) Risk in Patients Undergoing Complicated Appendectomy

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare primary wound closure (PC) versus delayed primary closure (DPC) after standardized wound decontamination using the High-Efficiency Incision and Drainage with Irrigation (HIEDI) technique in patients undergoing open appendectomy for complicated appendicitis in Sana'a, Yemen.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • Does primary closure with HIEDI result in a non-inferior or lower incidence of Surgical Site Infection (SSI) at 30 days compared with delayed primary closure with HIEDI?
  • Does primary closure with HIEDI reduce length of hospital stay and improve the trajectory of objective wound healing compared with delayed primary closure with HIEDI?
  • What is the impact of each closure method on patient satisfaction and health-related quality of life?

Researchers will compare the two groups to determine the optimal, evidence-based standard of care for wound management in complicated appendicitis within a resource-limited setting.

Participants will:

  • Undergo open appendectomy for intraoperatively confirmed complicated appendicitis (perforation or gangrene).
  • Receive standardized HIEDI wound decontamination (meticulous debridement and pulsatile irrigation with minimum 500 mL povidone-iodine 1:10 solution).
  • Be randomly allocated to either primary closure (all layers closed at surgery) or delayed primary closure (skin/subcutaneous tissue left open and closed 3-5 days later).
  • Attend follow-up visits at days 7, 14, and 30 for wound assessment, infection surveillance, and outcome evaluation.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Complicated appendicitis (perforation or gangrene) is a significant cause of postoperative morbidity worldwide. Surgical Site Infection (SSI) is the most common complication, with reported rates exceeding 30% in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In Sana'a, Yemen, local data from Al-Thawra Modern General Hospital documented a 27.5% SSI rate specifically in this patient population. The optimal wound closure strategy-primary closure (PC) versus delayed primary closure (DPC)-remains debated, with previous studies yielding conflicting results largely due to lack of standardized intraoperative wound decontamination.

The High-Efficiency Incision and Drainage with Irrigation (HIEDI) technique is a standardized, aggressive decontamination protocol combining meticulous debridement of wound edges with pulsatile high-pressure irrigation using a minimum of 500 mL of povidone-iodine solution (1:10 dilution). By applying HIEDI uniformly to both study arms, this trial isolates the effect of closure timing on SSI risk.

This is a prospective, multicenter, parallel-group, 1:1 randomized controlled superiority trial with blinded outcome assessment, conducted at three tertiary care hospitals in Sana'a, Yemen. The findings will provide high-level, locally generated evidence to establish a safe, resource-conscious standard of care for Yemen and similar settings.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

200

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Yemen
      • Sanaa, Yemen
        • Al-Thawra Modern General Hospital
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Dr. Abdulla Salem Faraj, M.D.
      • Sanaa, Yemen
        • Al-Gumhori Teaching Hospital
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Dr. Abdulla Salem Faraj, M.D.
      • Sanaa, Yemen
        • Al-Kuwaint University Hospital
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Dr. Abdulla Salem Faraj, M.D.

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 12 years and older
  • Intraoperative diagnosis of complicated appendicitis (perforation or gangrene)
  • Undergoing open appendectomy via McBurney or Rocky-Davis incision
  • Ability to provide written informed consent (patient or legal guardian for minors)
  • Availability for 30-day follow-up

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Generalized peritonitis requiring midline laparotomy
  • Immunocompromised status (e.g., chronic corticosteroid or immunosuppressive therapy, diagnosed HIV infection)
  • Poorly controlled diabetes mellitus (Hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c] greater than 8%)
  • Pregnancy
  • Concurrent malignancy
  • American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classification IV or V
  • Laparoscopic appendectomy

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Primary Closure with HIEDI
Participants undergo open appendectomy for complicated appendicitis followed by the High-Efficiency Incision and Drainage with Irrigation (HIEDI) protocol. All wound layers including skin are closed at the time of initial surgery using the Primary Closure (PC) technique. Target enrollment: 100 participants.
Procedure: Primary Closure with HIEDI
Following open appendectomy for complicated appendicitis, the surgical wound undergoes the High-Efficiency Incision and Drainage with Irrigation (HIEDI) protocol: meticulous debridement of wound edges and pulsatile high-pressure irrigation with a minimum of 500 mL of povidone-iodine solution (1:10 dilution). All layers of the surgical wound, including the skin, are closed at the time of the initial surgery using standard techniques.
Active Comparator: Delayed Primary Closure with HIEDI
Participants undergo open appendectomy for complicated appendicitis followed by the High-Efficiency Incision and Drainage with Irrigation (HIEDI) protocol. Deep fascial layers are closed; subcutaneous tissue and skin are left open, packed with saline-soaked gauze, and closed at the bedside 3-5 days postoperatively if no infection signs are present using the Delayed Primary Closure (DPC) technique. Target enrollment: 100 participants.
Procedure: Delayed Primary Closure with HIEDI
Following open appendectomy for complicated appendicitis, the surgical wound undergoes the High-Efficiency Incision and Drainage with Irrigation (HIEDI) protocol: meticulous debridement of wound edges and pulsatile high-pressure irrigation with a minimum of 500 mL of povidone-iodine solution (1:10 dilution). The deep fascial layers are closed; the subcutaneous tissue and skin are left open, packed with saline-soaked gauze, and covered. The wound is closed at the bedside 3-5 days postoperatively if no signs of infection are present.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Incidence of Surgical Site Infection (SSI) at 30 Days
Time Frame: Up to 30 days postoperatively
Surgical Site Infection (SSI) diagnosed according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria, classified as superficial incisional, deep incisional, or organ/space infection. Assessed by trained outcome assessors blinded to treatment allocation.
Up to 30 days postoperatively

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Objective Wound Healing Trajectory (ASEPSIS Score)
Time Frame: Day 7, Day 14, and Day 30 postoperatively
Objective assessment of wound healing and surgical site infection using the standardized ASEPSIS scoring system (evaluating criteria including erythema, serous discharge, purulent exudate, and separation of tissues). Lower scores represent superior healing.
Day 7, Day 14, and Day 30 postoperatively
Length of Hospital Stay (days)
Time Frame: From admission to discharge, assessed up to 30 days
Total number of days from hospital admission to discharge. Shorter stays indicate more efficient recovery.
From admission to discharge, assessed up to 30 days
Incidence of Other Postoperative Complications
Time Frame: Up to 30 days postoperatively
Incidence of wound dehiscence, intra-abdominal abscess, hematoma, seroma, and need for reintervention. Binary (yes/no) for each complication.
Up to 30 days postoperatively
Patient Satisfaction Score (0-100 scale)
Time Frame: Day 7, Day 14, Day 30
Overall satisfaction with surgical care and recovery measured on a 0-100 scale using a study-specific validated questionnaire. Higher scores indicate greater satisfaction.
Day 7, Day 14, Day 30
Health-Related Quality of Life (EQ-5D-5L score)
Time Frame: Day 7, Day 14, Day 30
Health-related quality of life assessed using the EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire. Higher scores indicate better quality of life.
Day 7, Day 14, Day 30

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sana'a University

Investigators

  • Study Director: Dr. Yasser Abdurabo Obadiel, Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana'a University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

July 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

November 30, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

November 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 27, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 2, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

July 7, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

July 7, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 2, 2026

Last Verified

July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • HIEDI-APP-2026-SANA

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

The study team does not plan to share individual participant data with other researchers. This is a single-center thesis study with limited data management infrastructure, and the dataset contains identifiable clinical information that cannot be sufficiently de-identified for broad sharing under local ethical guidelines.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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