Inguinal hernias are highly prevalent worldwide and its surgical repair is one of the most common procedures in general surgery. The broad use of mesh has decreased the recurrence rates of inguinal hernia to acceptable levels, thus centering the attention on Quality of Life as a pivotal postoperative outcome. Carolinas Comfort Scale is a well-studied questionnaire designed to identify Quality of Life changes following hernia repair with mesh techniques. The aim of this study is to validate the CCS in Brazilian Portuguese for inguinal hernias.

The original CCS was translated into Brazilian Portuguese according to cross-cultural adaptation guidelines. We conducted a cross-sectional study in individuals aged 18 and above who had undergone inguinal laparo-endoscopic hernia repair for at least 6 months prior, between January 2019 and August 2022, at a Brazilian tertiary hospital. Participants answered an online survey containing the Brazilian CCS and the generic Patient-Reported Outcome Measure (PROM) Short-Form Health 36 (SF-36). Participants answered the same questionnaires in the follow-up after at least three weeks, with an additional question about satisfaction with surgery results.

The survey was completed by 115 patients, of whom 78 (67%) responded to the follow-up questionnaire after 3 to 10 weeks. CCS showed excellent internal consistency, with Cronbach's α of 0.94. Intraclass correlation coefficient ranged from 0.60 to 0.82 in the test-retest analysis. Compared to SF-36, a strong correlation was observed in the physical functioning dimension, and a moderate correlation was found in role-physical and bodily pain (Pearson's Coefficient Correlation = 0.502, 0.338 and 0.332 respectively), for construct analysis. The mean CCS score was significantly lower (p < 0.001) among satisfied patients compared to the unsatisfied ones.

The Brazilian version of CCS is a valid and reliable method to assess long-term quality of life after inguinal laparo-endoscopic hernia repair.

Objective: The objective of this study is analyze the outcomes of retro-muscular repair techniques for ventral hernias performed by a single surgeon in a renowned hernia surgery center. Method: This study involved 197 patients who underwent surgery between May 2016 and December 2021 under the care of a single surgeon (VR). Respecting the indication/contraindications of the eTEP procedure, 197 of 212 patients with ventral hernias underwent eTEP/eTEP-TAR surgery during this period. The cohort consisted of diverse hernia types, including median, lateral, and multiple-site defects. The safety of this approach was evaluated based on postoperative occurrences, where the number of complications accounted for 5% of the cases. Results of the study indicated that there was a significant improvement in the quality of life of patients following the procedure. The assessment, which measured postoperative pain, normal activity, and aesthetics on a 0-10 scale, showed improvement at 2 weeks and 3 months after surgery compared to the preoperative level. However, after a mean of 51.11 months, only one case of recurrence was reported. This recurrence occurred on top of the mesh, 18 months after the initial operation. The follow-up period lasted between 24 and 90 months. Patient monitoring was conducted either in person or over the phone, focusing on quality of life, postoperative pain, and the occurrence of recurrence. In conclusion, the laparo-endoscopic retro-muscular repair of ventral hernias, whether primary or incisional, has shown to yield excellent results in medium and long-term follow-up. The eTEP technique combines the benefits of the Rives-Stoppa technique (considered the gold standard in open ventral hernia repair) with the advantages of minimally invasive surgery.

Patients often need admission at an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), immediately after complex abdominal wall reconstruction (CAWR). Lack of ICU resources requires adequate patient selection for a planned postoperative ICU admission. Risk stratification tools like Fischer score and Hernia Patient Wound (HPW) classification may improve patient selection. This study evaluates the decision-making process in a multidisciplinary team (MDT) on justified ICU admissions for patients after CAWR.

A pre-Covid-19 pandemic cohort of patients, discussed in a MDT and subsequently underwent CAWR between 2016 and 2019, was analyzed. A justified ICU admission was defined by any intervention within the first 24 h postoperatively, considered not suitable for a nursing ward. The Fischer score predicts postoperative respiratory failure by eight parameters and a high score (> 2) warrants ICU admission. The HPW classification ranks complexity of hernia (size), patient (comorbidities) and wound (infected surgical field) in four stages, with increasing risk for postoperative complications. Stages II-IV point to ICU admission. Accuracy of the MDT decision and (modifications of) risk-stratification tools on justified ICU admissions were analyzed by backward stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Pre-operatively, the MDT decided a planned ICU admission in 38% of all 232 CAWR patients. Intra-operative events changed the MDT decision in 15% of all CAWR patients. MDT overestimated ICU need in 45% of ICU planned patients and underestimated in 10% of nursing ward planned patients. Ultimately, 42% went to the ICU and 27% of all 232 CAWR patients were justified ICU patients. MDT accuracy was higher than the Fischer score, HPW classification or any modification of these risk stratification tools.

A MDT's decision for a planned ICU admission after complex abdominal wall reconstruction was more accurate than any of the other risk-stratifying tools. Fifteen percent of the patients experienced unexpected operative events that changed the MDT decision. This study demonstrated the added value of a MDT in the care pathway of patients with complex abdominal wall hernias.

Surgical site occurrences after transversus abdominis release in ventral hernia repair are still reported up to 15%. Evidence is rising that preoperative improvement of risk factors might contribute to optimal patient recovery. A reduction of complication rates up to 40% has been reported. The aim of this study was to determine whether prehabilitation has a favorable effect on the risk on wound and medical complications as well as on length of stay.

A retrospective cohort study was performed in a tertiary referral center for abdominal wall surgery. All patients undergoing ventral hernia repair discussed at multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings between 2015 and 2019 were included. Patients referred for a preconditioning program by the MDT were compared to patients who were deemed fit for operative repair by the MDT, without such a program. Endpoints were patients, hernia, and procedure characteristics as well as length of hospital stay, wound and general complications.

A total of 259 patients were included of which 126 received a preconditioning program. Baseline characteristics between the two groups were statistically significantly different as the prehabilitated group had higher median BMI (28 vs 30, p < 0.001), higher HbA1c (41 vs 48, p = 0.014), more smokers (4% vs 25%, p < 0.001) and higher HPW classes due to more patient factors (14% vs 48%, p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in intra-operative and postoperative outcome measures.

This study showed prehabilitation facilitates patients with relevant comorbidities achieving the same results as patients without those risk factors. The indication of a preconditioning program might be effective at the discretion of an MDT meeting. Further research could focus on the extent of such program to assess its value.

Morbid obesity increases the average risk of a patient developing a paraesophageal or hiatal hernia. Paraesophageal hernias (PEH) include several types, and their treatment is indubitably one of the most contentious topics in minimally invasive surgery. Though it is rare for PEH to manifest as a strangulated, volatilized intrathoracic stomach with infection, the increased risk of mortality is an indication for many to pursue surgical repair. Moreover, morbidly obese individuals represent a substantial rate of failure of PEH repairs. The modes of confirmation diagnostics are barium swallow or upper endoscopy. This case study focuses on a 64-year-old female who presented with several comorbidities, was appropriately evaluated for laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, and was previously identified to have a severe type III PEH with grade IV configuration. Additionally, the pathological finding from the extracted specimen was significant for helicobacter pylori gastritis.

Groin hernias include indirect inguinal, direct inguinal, femoral, obturator, and supravesical hernias. Here, we summarize historical turning points, anatomical recognition and surgical repairs. Groin hernias have a fascinating history in the fields of anatomy and surgery. The concept of tension-free repair is generally accepted among clinicians. Surgical repair with mesh is categorized as hernioplasty, while classic repair without mesh is considered herniorrhaphy. Although various surgical approaches have been developed, the surgical technique should be carefully chosen for each patient. Regarding as interesting history, crucial anatomy and important surgeries in the field of groin hernia, we here summarized them in detail, respectively. Points of debate are also reviewed; important points are shown using illustrations and schemas. We hope this systematic review is surgical guide for general surgeons including residents. Both a skillful technique and anatomical knowledge are indispensable for successful hernia surgery in the groin.

Management of subcostal incisional hernias is particularly complicated due to their proximity to the costochondral limits in addition to the lack of aponeurosis on the lateral side of the abdomen. We present our results of posterior component separation through the same previous incision as a safe and reproducible technique for these complex cases.

We presented a multicenter and prospective cohort of patients diagnosed with bilateral subcostal incisional hernias on either clinical examination or imaging based on computed tomography from 2014 to 2020. The aim of this investigation was to assess the outcomes of abdominal wall reconstruction for subcostal incisional hernias through a new approach. The outcomes reported were short- and long-term complications, including recurrence, pain, and bulging. Quality of life was assessed with the European Registry for Abdominal Wall Hernias Quality of Life score.

A total of 46 patients were identified. All patients underwent posterior component separation. Surgical site occurrences occurred in 10 patients (22%), with only 7 patients (15%) requiring procedural intervention. During a mean follow-up of 18 months (range, 6-62 months), 1 (2%) case of clinical recurrence was registered. Also, there were 8 (17%) patients with asymptomatic but visible bulging. The European Registry for Abdominal Wall Hernias Quality of Life score showed a statistically significant decrease in the 3 domains (pain, restriction, and cosmetic) of the postoperative scores compared with the preoperative score.

Posterior component separation technique for the repair of subcostal incisional hernias through the same incision is a safe procedure that avoids injury to the linea alba. It is associated with acceptable morbidity, low recurrence rate, and improvement in patients' reported outcomes.

Hernia repair remains one of the most common surgical procedures. Surgical mesh usage has been highlighted in the media due to recent lawsuits and recalls. Patients can read potentially biased information on the Internet and this can influence a patient's healthcare decisions. The purpose of this study is to evaluate search engine listings and respective website content of surgical mesh for hernia repair.

Websites evaluated were derived from four keyword searches targeting surgical mesh with Google, Yahoo, and Bing. Websites from the first two pages of each search were evaluated for content comprehensiveness.

The largest category of websites from search engine results was legal advertisements, accounting for 20% of all results. These websites also held the first position on every results page. Legal advertisements and blog/forum websites were the most skewed toward surgical mesh risks and complications vs. benefits. There was a reduction in advertisements in 2020 vs. 2018. The most comprehensive non-advertisement websites were found more frequently. Overall, only 44% of websites presented references and 50% cited supporting data. Finally, 46% of 'recommended search terms' displayed on the search engine results page had a risk, complication, or legal bias.

These results emphasize the challenges of using an Internet search engine to find comprehensive and appropriate information regarding surgical mesh. This manuscript underscores the importance for physicians to direct patients toward specific websites to mitigate their exposure to websites that are biased and not appropriate for patients searching for an accurate and comprehensive overview of surgical mesh.