Incisional hernia after open versus laparoscopic sigmoid resection

Background  Incisional hernia after open surgery is a well-known complication with an incidence of up to 20% after a 10-year period. Data regarding the long-term hernia risk after laparoscopic colonic surgery are lacking in the literature. In the present study we compared the long-term hernia incidence after laparoscopic versus open sigmoid resection. Methods  The study included patients undergoing laparoscopic sigmoid resection in the period January 1995 to December 2004 in the eastern part of Denmark. This group was matched with a consecutive group of patients undergoing open surgery in our department in the same period. Patients were contacted by telephone, and a questionnaire was completed for each patient. If the patient was believed to have a hernia or if there was any suspicion of a hernia, a consultant surgeon examined the patient and completed the questionnaire. Factors related to the primary operation, the hernia and general risk factors were registered for all patients. Results  A total of 201 patients answered the questionnaire (95.3%). The laparoscopy group was comprised of 58 patients and 143 patients were included in the laparotomy group. The patients had a median follow-up of 4.6 years (range 2.4–11.7 years) and 4.9 years (range 2.4–8.5 years) after laparoscopic and open surgery, respectively (P = 0.326). Incisional hernia was found in two of 58 patients (3.4%, 95% CI -1.4–7.4) in the laparoscopic surgery group compared with 21 of 143 patients (14.7%, 95% CI 8.9–20.5) in the open surgery group (P = 0.026). There were no significant differences in demographic data or the occurrence of risk factors between the two groups. Conclusion  Laparoscopic sigmoid resection leads to a significantly lower incidence of incisional hernia compared with the open surgical technique.