The following is a summary of “Prospective, international analysis of quality of life outcomes in recurrent versus primary ventral hernia repairs,” published in the December 2023 issue of Surgery by Wilson, et al.
Quality of life (QOL) assessment has become increasingly important in evaluating outcomes following ventral hernia repair (VHR). However, there needed to be more comparative data between recurrent and primary VHR regarding QOL.
Data from the International Hernia Mesh Registry spanning from 2008 to 2019 were analyzed to identify patients with preoperative and postoperative QOL assessments using the Carolinas Comfort Scale at 1 year.
A total of 227 recurrent and 1,122 primary ventral hernias were repaired. Recurrent hernia patients had higher body mass index (BMI) and larger defects. They were more likely to experience preoperative pain than primary hernia patients, although other comorbidities were similar between the groups. Recurrence rates at 1 year were comparable. Notably, recurrent hernia patients experienced greater improvement in pain (-6.3 ± 10.2 vs -4.3 ± 8.3, P = 0.002) and movement limitation (-5.5 ± 10.0 vs -3.2 ± 7.2, P < 0.001) compared to primary hernia patients. However, they also reported increased postoperative mesh sensation (4.6 ± 7.7 vs 2.7 ± 5.5, P < 0.001).
Recurrent VHRs resulted in improved pain and movement limitation compared to primary VHRs, albeit with increased postoperative mesh sensation. These findings have implications for preoperative counseling in the elective setting, providing valuable insights into expected outcomes for patients undergoing recurrent ventral hernia repair.
Reference: americanjournalofsurgery.com/article/S0002-9610(23)00275-1/abstract