The number of individuals in the UK who are HIV seropositive is increasing as is their presentation with abdominal complications. Poor wound healing following anorectal surgery in HIV-positive patients has been well reported. This study reviews the incidence of wound complications following laparotomy. The hospital records of all HIV-positive patients who underwent laparotomy at a London teaching hospital over a 10-year period were reviewed and compared to an equal number of matched non-HIV patients. Between April 1986 and April 1996, 64 laparotomies were carried out on 53 patients. There was a significantly greater incidence of wound complications (χ2 = 12.75, 1 d.f., p = 0.0003) and wound breakdown (χ2 = 10.45, 1 d.f., p = 0.012) in the HIV group following laparotomy than in the non-HIV control group.