Reconstruction of the Abdominal Wall with Mesh II: Ventral Hernia Repair

Abstract

Incisional and Ventral hernia repair (VHR) is one of the most common surgical procedures in the world, and over the last two decades this field has enjoyed exponentially advances thanks to improvements in operative technique and biomechanical science. Truly complex hernias which are multiply recurrent, have active infections, loss of domain, presence of stomas, require component separation or panniculectomy, or have other exacerbating factors are truly challenging to manage operatively, and the multidisciplinary operations to repair them have become known collectively as abdominal wall reconstruction (AWR). Herein, we describe the surgical history of AWR, the current state of surgical techniques and mesh science, as well as novel areas for advancement of the field in the future. In particular, a focus on patient specific clinical outcomes such as hernia recurrence, wound complications, and quality of life has been made with regards to mesh position and selection. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive review of the state of the literature and our recommendations for AWR, for the Plastic, General, and Hernia surgeon alike. This review contains 7 figures, 3 tables, and 79 references. Keywords: ventral hernia repair, incisional hernia, abdominal wall reconstruction, mesh, pre-peritoneal hernia repair, pre-operative optimization, clinical outcomes, mesh position, surgical site infection, robotic hernia repair