To Örebro University

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and safety of a novel IPOM procedure with peritoneal bridging (IPOM-pb) for laparoscopic ventral hernia repair, and to compare the outcomes of this procedure with IPOM with- (IPOM-plus) and IPOM without (sIPOM) defect closure.

Method: A single-centre retrospective study comparing a novel IPOM technique with peritoneal bridging (IPOM-pb) with the two commonly used IPOM techniques, IPOM with defect closure (IPOM-plus) and without defect closure (sIPOM). The intraoperative and postoperative data of patients who underwent laparoscopic IPOM ventral hernia repair were reviewed. Preoperative data, recurrence, and postoperative seroma, surgical site infection, and pain, were compared.

Results: From January 2017 to June 2020, a total of 213 patients underwent laparoscopic ventral and incisional hernia repair with IPOM technique. The mean length and width of the ventral hernia was 4.4 +/- 1.8 cm and 3.6 +/- 1.4 cm, respectively, and the mean BMI was 30.1 +/- 5.2 kg/m(2). The mean operating time was 67 +/- 28 min and was longer for IPOM-pb (71 +/- 27 min), less for IPOM-plus (63 +/- 28 min), and least for sIPOM (61 +/- 26 min). The incidence of early postoperative seroma was least in IPOM-pb (1/98, 1%), and similar in the IPOM-plus (4/94, 4%) and sIPOM (1/21, 5%) group. Late postoperative seroma was found only in IPOM-plus (2, 2%). The incidence of early and late postoperative pain was relatively higher in sIPOM (3, 14%; 1, 5%, respectively) compared to IPOM-pb and IPOM-plus in the early (5, 5% and 6, 6%) and late (2, 2% and 1, 1%) postoperative period, respectively. Surgical site infection was higher in sIPOM group (3, 14%), compared to IPOM-pb (1, 1%), and IPOM-plus (3, 3%). Recurrence rates were similar in IPOM-pb group (3/98, 3%) and IPOM-plus (3/94, 3%), and none in sIPOM (0/21).

Conclusion: IPOM with peritoneal bridging is as feasible and safe as conventional IPOM with defect closure and simple non-defect closure. However, a large randomised controlled trial is required to confirm this finding.

Introduction: Postoperative seroma and pain are common problems following laparoscopic intraperitoneal onlay mesh (IPOM) repair of ventral hernias. These advers outcomes may be avoided by dissecting and using the peritoneum in the hernial sac to bridge the hernia defect.

Methods: This was a patient- an and outcome assesor-blinded, parallel-design, randomized controlled trial compairing nonclosure and peritoeal bridging approaches in patients schedueled for elective midline ventral hernia repair. The primary end point was seroma volume on ultrasonography. The secondary end points were postoperative pain, recurrence, and complications.

Results: Between November 2018 and December 2020, 112 patients were randomized of whom 60 were in the nonclosure group and 52 were in the peritoneal bridging group. The seroma volume in the nonclosure and peritoneal bridging groups were 17cm³(6-53cm³) versus 0cm³(0-26cm³) at 1-moth follow-up (P=0.013). The median volume was zero at 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups in both groups. No significant differences were observed in early postoperative pain (P=0.447) and in recurrencerate (P=0.684). There were 4(7%) and 1(2%) perioperative complictions that lead to reoperations in simple IPOM(sIPOM) and IPOM with peritoneal bridging (IPOM-pb), respectively.

Conclusion: Seroma was less prevalent after IPOM-pb at 1-month follow-up compaired with sIPOM, with simillar posoperative pain 1 week after index of surgery in both groups. At subsequent follow-ups, the differences in seroma were not statiscally significant. Further studies are required to confirm these results. Trial registration (NCT04229940)

Keywords: epigastric hernia, incisional hernia, IPOM with fascia closure, IPOM with peritoneal bridging, laparoscopic hernia repair, simple IPOM, umblical hernia, ventral hernia

PURPOSE: The COVID-19 has had a profound impact on the health care delivery in Sweden, including deprioritization of benign surgeries during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on emergency and planned hernia repair in Sweden.

METHODS: Data on hernia repairs from January 2016 to December 2021 were retrieved from the Swedish Patient Register using procedural codes. Two groups were formed: COVID-19 group (January 2020-December 2021) and control group (January 2016-December 2019). Demographic data on mean age, gender, and type of hernia were collected.

RESULTS: This study showed a weak negative correlation between the number of elective hernia repairs performed each month during the pandemic and the number of emergency repairs carried out during the following 3 months for inguinal hernia repair (p = 0.114) and incisional hernia repair (p = 0.193), whereas there was no correlation for femoral or umbilical hernia repairs.

CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic had a great impact on planned hernia surgeries in Sweden, but our hypothesis that postponing planned repairs would increase the risk of emergency events was not supported.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate risk factors for postoperative pain and nausea after open repair for primary ventral hernias.

METHOD: A population-based registry study was conducted based on data assembled from the Swedish national ventral hernia repair register between January 2016 and December 2021and cross-matched with the Swedish perioperative register.

RESULTS: Altogether 2064 open ventral hernia repairs were registered, including 816 (39.5%) performed on women. Of these, 91 (4.4%) were registered to suffer postoperative nausea or vomiting (PONV) and 403 (19.5%) postoperative pain (PP). In both univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses, significant predictors of postoperative nausea and pain included male gender, which was associated with lower odds of both postoperative nausea (multivariable OR: 0.30, 95% CI: 0.18-0.49, P < 0.001) and postoperative pain (multivariable OR: 0.60, 95% CI: 0.44-0.83, P = 0.002). Additional predictors of postoperative nausea included emergency surgery (multivariable OR: 4.08, 95% CI: 1.10-15.08, P = 0.035), operative time > 40 min (multivariable OR: 4.15, 95% CI: 2.24-7.69, P < 0.001). Conversely total intravenous anesthesia was associated with lower incidence of PONV (multivariable OR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.22-0.74, P = 0.003). Other factors, such as age, BMI, smoking status, ASA classification, hernia size, surgery type, operative time, and anesthesia type, were not significantly associated with postoperative pain after adjusting for other variables.

CONCLUSION: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) are significantly reduced with total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) compared to inhalation anesthesia, with no notable difference in postoperative pain between the two methods.