Hernias Developed Research Articles

Hernia in pregnancy—Does it matter?

AbstractIntroductionPregnancy is a risk factor for hernia development. This review studies the natural history and outcomes of hernias in pregnant women treated in the Hong Kong West Cluster.MethodsThis is a cluster‐wide, retrospective descriptive study. Electronic medical records of women attending Hernia Clinics at Tung Wah Hospital or Queen Mary Hospital or those emergently admitted into the surgical department between January 2002 and January 2022 were screened. Inclusion criteria were women with: (i) hernia developed during pregnancy; and (ii) known unrepaired hernia developed prior to pregnancy.ResultsForty‐one patients were included. Median age of hernia onset was 31 years old. All patients continued with pregnancy with no hernia complications. None received hernia repair before delivery. Nine out of 41 patients (22.0%) received Caesarean section. Fourteen out of 22 (63.6%) patients with inguinal hernias developed during pregnancy reported hernia disappearance after delivery, of whom five experienced hernia recurrence. One out of five patients with ventral hernia developed during pregnancy experienced hernia disappearance after delivery with no recurrence. 43.9% received hernia repair after delivery.ConclusionsIt is safe to adopt conservative management in pregnant women. Vaginal delivery is not contraindicated. We recommend watchful waiting during pregnancy and repair after delivery.

Quality of Life After Open Abdominal Treatment With Vacuum-Assisted Wound Closure and Mesh-Mediated Fascial Traction

Little is known about the long-term outcome of open abdomen treatment with vacuum-assisted wound closure and mesh-3. Therefore, this study's purpose is to evaluate this with a particular focus on incisional hernia development and quality of life (QoL). Fifty-five patients who underwent vacuum-assisted wound closure and mesh-mediated fascial traction at our institution from 2006 to 2013 were prospectively enrolled in this study. After a median follow-up period of 3.8 years, 34 patients attended a follow-up examination, including the SF-36 QoL questionnaire. The fascial closure rate was 74% (intention-to-treat) and 89% (per-protocol). Enteroatmospheric fistulae occurred in 1.8%. In-hospital mortality was 16.4%, and during the follow-up period, it was 27.4%. Incisional hernias developed in 35% of the cases.The SF-36 physical role (54.6 ± 41.0 (0-100), P < 0.01), physical functioning (68.4 ± 29.5 (0-100), P = 0.01), and physical component summary (41.6 ± 13.0 (19-62), P = 0.01) scores for the patient population were significantly lower than normative scores. The mental dimensions of QoL showed no differences.A subgroup analysis revealed that the lower scores for physical role, physical functioning, and physical component summary only existed in the subgroup of incisional hernia patients. In contrast, physical and mental SF-36 scores of patients without incisional hernias did not differ from the normative scores. Vacuum-assisted wound closure and mesh-mediated fascial traction seems to result in low complication rates. However, incisional hernias occur in 35%, which are the leading cause of reduced QoL. Measures to further improve this rate, such as prophylactic meshes, have to be evaluated.

Paraconduit Hernia in the Era of Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy: Underdiagnosed?

There is a need to compare the proportions, risk factors, and natural histories of postesophagectomy paraconduit hernias in minimally invasive and open esophagectomies. This is a single-center, retrospective cohort study of esophageal cancer surgery performed between 2007 and 2017. Postesophagectomy paraconduit hernias were identified on cross-sectional imaging. Patient charts were reviewed to describe the management and natural history. Between 2007 and 2017, 391 esophagectomies were performed. After exclusions, 347 patients remained, 135 of whom were total minimally invasive esophagectomies (MIEs) (39%). Postoperative paraconduit hernias developed in 10% of patients. Median time to diagnosis was 258 days. Of 135 MIEs, 20 had a paraconduit hernia (15%) compared with 16 of 212 open or hybrid esophagectomies (8%; P= .03). Hernias were symptomatic in 13 patients (36%) and asymptomatic in 23 (64%), which were detected radiographically. Repair was performed in 11 of 13 symptomatic patients (85%), compared with 3 of 23 asymptomatic patients (13%). In the asymptomatic group, only 1 required emergency repair (4.3%). There was a trend toward a greater proportion of symptomatic paraconduit hernias compared with asymptomatic patients (77% versus 43%; P= .08) in MIE patients. Factors associated with the development of paraconduit hernias on univariate analysis were younger age (P= .02) and not receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (P= .01) or neoadjuvant radiation (P= .03). Postesophagectomy paraconduit hernia is more common after totally minimally invasive esophagectomy compared with open or hybrid techniques. One third are symptomatic and the remainder are detected only radiographically. Repair of asymptomatic hernias consider the patient's cancer prognosis.

Port site hernia: What are the risk factors?

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background &amp;amp; Aim&lt;/strong&gt;: The port site hernia is a type of incisional hernia that occurs at port sites after laparoscopic surgery. Various factors have been implicated in the development of port site hernia.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The aim of this study was to know the risk factors of the port site hernia.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Patients &amp;amp; Methods:&lt;/strong&gt; A retrospective study of patients who underwent different elective laparoscopic procedures in Rizgary Teaching Hospital in Erbil in a period from March 2013 to September 2014.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results&lt;/strong&gt;: Out of 300 patients only 8 (2.7%) patients developed port site hernia. The time of the hernia occurrence ranged from 3 weeks to six months postoperatively. Half of the hernias were found in cases of age group (60-80) years. Six (75%) of the cases were female patients. All 8 hernias developed after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Six (75%) hernias developed after open port entrance technique. All hernias occurred when the fascia in 10 mm port was not closed. Seven hernias (87.5%) occurred in patients with BMI ranged (25-34).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion:&lt;/strong&gt; Age of the patients, technique of entrance, site and size of the port with unclosed fascial layer are important factors for developing port site hernia.&lt;/p&gt;

The Safety and Feasibility of the Single-Port Laparoscopic Transabdominal Preperitoneal Inguinal Hernia Repair Through Retropubic Radical Prostatectomy Scar, Prospective, Case Series.

Introduction: To avoid an additional scar, our novel single-port laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair technique that utilizes the previous prostatectomy scar was conducted. Inguinal hernia is one of the most common complications of radical prostatectomy that require surgical repair. At present, such surgical repair inevitably leaves additional scars on the abdominal wall. This case series study was performed to determine the safety and feasibility of this procedure in patients with inguinal hernia after radical prostatectomy. Subjects and Methods: All patients who underwent retropubic radical prostatectomy (RRP) in 2012-2016 and developed an inguinal hernia as a complication of RRP agreed to undergo single-port laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) repair of the inguinal hernia through the RRP scar. TAPP repair was performed using a homemade glove single port through a 2 cm wide incision into the upper part of the RRP scar. The duration between RRP and the development of inguinal hernia, TAPP repair operative time, follow-up duration, TAPP repair-related complications, and rate of inguinal hernia recurrence were recorded. Results: Of the 131 patients who underwent RRP in the study period, 12 (mean age, 67.58 ± 5.73 years) developed inguinal hernia during an average follow-up duration of 33.58 ± 16.49 months. None had a previous history of inguinal hernia. The inguinal hernias developed on average 3.83 ± 1.70 months after RRP. The mean operative time was 64.58 ± 6.20 minutes. There were no surgical complications or recurrence of inguinal hernia during follow-up. Conclusions: Single-port laparoscopic TAPP inguinal hernia repair through the previous prostatectomy scar is safe and feasible.

Analysis of Risk Factors for the Development of Incisional and Parastomal Hernias in Patients after Colorectal Surgery

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the overall rate and risk factors for the development of an incisional hernia and a parastomal hernia after colorectal surgery.MethodsThe study cohort consisted of 795 consecutive patients who underwent open colorectal surgery between 2005 and 2007 by a single surgeon. A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data was performed.ResultsThe overall incidence of incisional hernias was 2% (14/690). This study revealed that the cumulative incidences of incisional hernia were 1% at 12 months and 3% after 36 months. Eighty-six percent of all incisional hernias developed within 3 years after a colectomy. The overall rate of parastomal hernias in patients with a stoma was 6.7% (7/105). The incidence of parastomal hernias was significantly higher in the colostomy group than in the ileostomy group (11.9% vs. 0%; P = 0.007). Obesity, abdominal aortic aneurysm, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, serum albumin level, emergency surgery and postoperative ileus did not influence the incidence of incisional or parastomal hernias. However, the multivariate analysis revealed that female gender and wound infection were significant risk factors for the development of incisional hernias female: P = 0.009, wound infection: P = 0.041). There were no significant factors related to the development of parastomal hernias.ConclusionOur results indicate that most incisional hernias develop within 3 years after a colectomy. Female gender and wound infection were risk factors for the development of an incisional hernia after colorectal surgery. In contrast, no significant factors were found to be associated with the development of a parastomal hernia.

PORT SITE INCISIONAL HERNIA AFTER MINIMAL ACCESS SURGERY

Incisional hernia is a common sequel to open abdominal surgery, affecting 5–15% of patients. The introduction of laparoscopic surgery into clinical routine more than 20 years ago has dramatically changed the field of surgery. It is commonly held that the frequency of incisional hernia has been reduced since the introduction of minimal access surgery. The incidence of port site hernia ranges from 1% to 6%. The aim of this study is to identify most common causes of port site incisional hernia. This is a retrospective study of 2116 patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery between January 2006 and December 2010. The information obtained according to indication of surgery, onset of hernia, clinical risk factors for incisional hernia like age& sex, BMI, co-morbidity, and those related to surgical factors such as port site, port size, port site infection and abdominal access techniques. The data were retrieved for patients who developed port-site incisional hernia (PSIH). The incisional hernia rate for the entire series was 2.5%. Most port site hernias developed in the 10 mm port, in the umbilical and supra umbilical, midline and 0% for the off-midline. There was statistically significant difference in patient’s related risk factors regarding age, BMI and wound infection with development of port site hernias. Conclusion: In this series, the 10mm port in midline site is a significantly higher cause for incisional hernia than the off-midline and smallest port size. Open first access technique, obesity and port site infection also significantly increase the incidence of port site incisional hernia. Introductio

Contralateral metachronous inguinal hernias in adults: role for prophylaxis during the TEP repair

Contralateral exploration during laparoscopic totally extraperitoneal (TEP) inguinal herniorrhaphy allows for the repair of incidentally found hernias. Nonetheless, some patients with a negative contralateral exploration subsequently develop a symptomatic hernia on that side. We pondered the incidence of contralateral metachronous hernia development and whether prophylactic "repair" in these circumstances would be beneficial. A retrospective analysis of patients who underwent laparoscopic TEP exploration at our institution was performed. Demographic, operative and follow-up information was obtained through medical record review, physical examination and telephone/mailed survey. From 1995 to 2009, a total of 1,479 inguinal herniorrhaphies on 976 patients were performed by a single staff surgeon. Bilateral exploration was completed in 923 (95%) of these patients, of whom bilateral repair was performed on 503 (55%). The study cohort comprises the 409 (42%) patients having a unilateral repair with a negative contralateral exploration and no previous contralateral hernia repair (n = 11). With a median follow-up of 5.9 years (range 0-14), 33 (8.1%) hernias developed on the previously "healthy" side, yielding incidence rates at 1, 5 and 10 years of 1.6, 5.9 and 11.8%, respectively. The median time to hernia development was 3.7 years (range 0.1-12.4). Of the 30 inguinal hernias that have been repaired, 25 (83%), 3 (10%) and 2 (7%) were of indirect, direct and pantaloon types, respectively. When considering prophylactic repair during TEP explorations, a yearly risk of 1.2% of developing a contralateral hernia after negative exploration needs to be balanced against the low but potential risk of groin pain following prophylactic repair.

Transforming Growth Factor β2 Lowers the Incidence of Incisional Hernias

Background. Approximately 200,000 incisional hernias are repaired annually in the United States. The high incidence (11–20%) and recurrence rate (24–54%) for incisional hernias have not changed appreciably in 75 years. Mechanical advances in suture material, incision orientation, and closure technique have failed to eliminate this common surgical complication. A biological approach to acute wound failure may offer a new strategy.Methods. A rodent incisional hernia model was used. Seventy rats underwent 5-cm midline celiotomies and were closed with fine, fast-absorbing sutures to induce intentional acute wound failure. Group 1 received no other treatment. The midline fascia in groups 2 and 3 was injected immediately prior to incision with 100 μl of vehicle alone or vehicle containing 1 μg of transforming growth factor β2 (TGF-β2). Necropsy was performed on Postoperative Day 28 and the wounds were examined for herniation.Results. Incisional hernias developed in 88% (35/40) and 79% (11/14) of untreated incisions and those treated with vehicle alone. No hernias formed in the TGF-β2-treated incisions (0/16, P < 0.05). Standard histology and immunohistochemistry demonstrated enhanced macrophage, lymphocyte, and fibroblast chemotaxis and increased collagen I and III production in TGF-β2 treated incisions.Conclusions. Treatment of abdominal wall fascial incisions with TGF-β2 prevented the development of incisional hernias in this rat model. TGF-β2 stimulated fascial macrophage and fibroblast chemotaxis as well as acute wound collagen production. A biological approach such as this may reduce the incidence of incisional hernia formation in humans.

Routine Bilateral Exploration for Inguinal Hernia in Infancy and Childhood

Whether to explore the contralateral side is a real question regarding the management of unilateral inguinal hernias in infants and children. The surgeon can easier make a decision if he knows the true incidence and prevalence of the bilateral involvement in different ages. During the years 1982 to 1991 the authors could find 138 contralateral hernias developed after unilateral herniorrhaphy in 2554 children (5.4%). Fifty-five percent of these children (76 patients) were younger than 1 year of age, 74% of them (102 patients) were younger than 3 years of age at the time of the initial repair. The interval between the operations was less than 1 year in 54% of the cases. To get more precise data, we explored 148 children younger than 3 years of age bilaterally during 1992. The result was positive in 104 cases (70.3%). The bilateral involvement was most frequent under the first 6 months of life (83.5%), then it dropped gradually. We found a patent processus vaginalis on the asymptomatic side in 74.3% of girls and in 61.1% of boys. The overall contralateral involvement of unilateral hernias was 64.8%, independently of which side the hernia had appeared on. The patent processus vaginalis can be regarded as a precursor of indirect hernias, so the contralateral exploration can prevent the development of a later hernia. The authors conclude that bilateral exploration is mainly justified during infancy, but in case of girls they suggested applying it until three years of age.