INCISIONAL HERNIA REPAIR – a CLINICAL STUDY OF 30 PATIENTS

Background: Incisional hernia is defined as any abdominal wall gap with or without bulge in the area of a postoperative scar perceptible or palpable by clinical examination or imaging [1]. Surgical management of incisional hernias has evolved over the last century, but consensus is lacking. Aims and objectives: This study aims to analyze the etiological factors of incisional hernia, modes of presentation, therapeutic modalities and the immediate postoperative complications. Materials and methods: The study is a prospective study conducted at a tertiary care teaching hospital for over 18 months. Thirty patients were studied and followed up for immediate post-operative complications. Observations and Results: Incisional hernia was found to occur more often in the 5 th decade, females, and housewives, obese. The incidence was higher following gynecological operations, lower abdominal incisions, transverse incisions and when there was post-operative wound infection following the index surgery. Most patients noticed the incisional hernia only 1 to 3 years after the index surgery. A combination of mesh repair along with anatomical repair was carried out in 23 of the 30 patients, anatomical repair alone in 6 patients and one patient underwent laparoscopic mesh repair. Conclusion: Incisional hernias occur more often in females as they are more likely to undergo lower abdominal surgeries. Mesh repair was deemed superior to anatomical repair alone as post-operative complications were lesser. Placement of suction drain played an important role in reducing the likelihood of post-operative wound complications. There were no recurrences during our follow up period, albeit a longer follow up is required to draw definitive conclusions.