Laparoscopic repair of incisional and ventral hernia

The application of laparoscopic principles to ventral or incisional hernia repair has recently been shown to be a safe and effective alternative to open procedures. In this study we analyzed our recent experience with laparoscopic incisional-ventral hernia repair. The outcomes of 75 consecutive patients (January 2002 to July 2006) who underwent laparoscopic repair for incisional-ventral hernia were reviewed. Patient's demographics, hernia parameters, and intraoperative and postoperative data were collected. Of the 75 patients, 44 were females and 31 males. Mean age was 59.1 yrs (range 29-80 yrs). Mean BMI was 25.9 (range 19.4-36.7). Twenty-one patients had primary ventral hernias while 54 patients had an incisional hernia. Fifty-three patients had a single defect and 22 patients multiple defects. In 45 cases the incisional hernia was a primary hernia; in 4 cases it was a first recurrence; in 2 cases a 2nd recurrence; and in 3 cases a 3rd recurrence. The mean defect size was 52,7 cm2 (range 4-432). Laparoscopic hernia repair was successfully performed in 71 cases (94.7%). The mean mesh size was 211 cm2 (range 63-694). Mean operating time was 101 min (range 50-220 min). The mean hospital stay was 4.7 days. The postoperative morbidity rate was 14%. After a mean follow-up of 24.6 months (range 7-56) the recurrence rate was 7% (5/71). Laparoscopic repair of incisional-ventral hernias seems to be safe and effective. Medium-term outcomes were promising with a relatively low rate of conversion to open surgery, a low complication rate and a low risk of recurrence.