The worldwide volume of surgery is considerable, with an estimated 234.2 million major surgical procedures carried out every year across the globe (Weiser et al, 2008). In Australia during 2010-11, 2.4 million admissions involved a surgical procedure (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2012). Wound healing by primary intention following surgery is assisted by the use of sutures, staples, glue, adhesive tape wound dressings or negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT), and healing commences within hours of closure (Rodero and Khosrotehrani, 2010). Failure of the wound to heal may be due to a number of reasons: patient-related factors, for example age, cardiovascular disease (Webster et al, 2003; van Ramshorst G et al, 2010), mechanical reasons of suture breakage or knots slipping (Baronski and Ayello, 2012), infection or dehiscence (Riou et al, 1992; Ridderstolpe et al, 2001; Webster et al, 2003; van Ramshorst G et al, 2010), radiotherapy 
or chemotherapy (Spiliotis et al, 2009).