Initial experiences with laparoscopic incisional hernial repair]

Incisional hernia following laparotomy remains an important problem. Laparoscopic repair has become the method of choice in recent years. The present article presents the outcome of laparoscopic incisional hernia mesh repair at Viborg Hospital in the years 2003-2006.We retrospectively identified 114 patients who had undergone laparoscopic hernia repair during the relevant period. The patients received a questionnaire regarding satisfaction, pain and recurrence. Patients reporting any inconvenience were offered a consultation.Among the 114 included patients, ten procedures were converted to open laparotomy, six of which were converted due to recognized bowel injury. One case of bowel injury was managed laparoscopically. One case of bowel injury was recognized during reoperation the following day. Another four patients experienced reoperations for other reasons, mainly bleeding. The mean hospital stay was one day. A total of 12 patients had a recurrent hernia. The mean follow-up was 14 months.We conclude that laparoscopic incisional hernia repair is a useful surgical procedure with short hospital stay and high patient satisfaction. There is, however, a certain risk of bowel injury associated with this procedure.