MESH PROPHYLAXIS FOR HERNIA IN ABDOMINAL INCISIONS dhru.ramson@gmail.com

466-02

MESH PROPHYLAXIS FOR HERNIA IN ABDOMINAL INCISIONS

2

 

 

 

 

Australia

Oral or Poster

Incisional hernia is a common complication after abdominal surgery with an incidence of up to 20% reported. Incisions made through the abdominal wall to access the abdominal cavity are traditionally closed primarily with sutures alone. The site of the abdominal incision is weakened despite closure with multiple layers of sutures and this deficiency can result in the development of an incisional hernia. Repair of such hernias often involves the placement of mesh to augment the repair. Rather than placing a mesh when an incisional hernia occurs, it has been proposed and evaluated in randomised clinical trials that the placement of prophylactic mesh (prophylactic mesh augmentation) at the time of abdominal surgery may prevent an incisional hernia from developing.

The Cochrane Colorectal Cancer Group Controlled Trials Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, the Clinicaltrials.gov database, and the World Health Organisation International Clinical Trials Registry Platform were searched for randomised clinical trials comparing prophylactic mesh augmentation versus primary suture alone during abdominal surgery in preventing an incisional hernia.

Placement of prophylactic mesh compared to primary suture repair alone at time of abdominal surgery reduces the risk of developing an incisional hernia.

This meta-analysis should increase the propensity of surgeons to offer mesh prophylaxis to patients undergoing abdominal surgery, particularly in those with the presence of risk factors for developing an incisional hernia.