ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT DERIVED FROM MORBIDITY IN THE INCISIONAL HERNIA SURGERY

Abstract Aim To analyse the repercussion derived from the morbidity that appeared after the repair of incisional hernias. Material and Methods Descriptive, retrospective and longitudinal study based on a prospective database of all incisional hernia operated patients of a university-level hospital in the period between 2013 and 2019. Anthropometric parameters, classification of the hernia according to the European Hernia Society guides and characteristics of the intervention performed were registered. Complications observed until the end of the follow-up and the final evolution are analysed. Results The sample is composed by 244 patients with a mean follow-up of 11 months. In 50% of the surgeries anterior separation of components was performed. In 240 patients, the mesh was placed in the following positions: 68.5% onlay, 13.5% retromuscular, 13% preperitoneal, 3.6% intraperitoneal and 1.3% inlay. During the first postoperative month, 63 patients (25.8%) presented some type of complication: seroma (47.6%), surgical wound infection (20.6%) and dehiscence (17.5%). 31 complications (49.2%) were classified as Clavien-Dindo III or greater severity. In 60% of patients with seroma the mesh was placed onlay. Of the 30 patients with seroma, 9 recurred over a mean of 16 months of follow-up (30%). Conclusions In our sample, the main cause of postoperative seroma is onlay placement of the mesh, and this complication may cause recurrence. We consider that it’s important to register our results to obtain a correct analysis and to prevent morbidity in the future.