Case study

Emergency treatment of complicated incisional hernias: a case study

Francesco La Mura , Roberto Cirocchi , Eriberto Farinella , Umberto Morelli , Vincenzo Napolitano , Lorenzo Cattorini , Alessandro Spizzirri , Barbara Rossetti , Pamela Delmonaco , Carla Migliaccio , Diego Milani , Piero Covarelli , Carlo Boselli , Giuseppe Noya and Francesco Sciannameo

General Surgical Unit, St. Maria Hospital, Terni (TR), University of Perugia, Italy

author email corresponding author email

Annals of Surgical Innovation and Research 2009, 3:15doi:10.1186/1750-1164-3-15

Published:	17 December 2009

Abstract

Background

The emergency treatment of incisional hernias is infrequent but it can be complicated with strangulation or obstruction and in some cases the surgical approach may also include an intestinal resection with the possibility of peritoneal contamination. Our study aims at reporting our experience in the emergency treatment of complicated incisional hernias.

Methods

Since January 1999 till July 2008, 89 patients (55 males and 34 females) were treated for complicated incisional hernias in emergency. The patients were divided in two groups: Group I consisting of 33 patients that were treated with prosthesis apposition and Group II, consisting of 56 patients that were treated by performing a direct abdominal wall muscles suture.

Results

All the patients underwent a 6-month follow up; we noticed 9 recurrences (9/56, 16%) in the patients treated with direct abdominal wall muscles suture and 1 recurrence (1/33, 3%) in the group of patients treated with the prosthesis apposition.

Conclusions

According to our experience, the emergency treatment of complicated incisional hernias through prosthesis apposition is always feasible and ensures less post-operative complications (16% vs 21,2%) and recurrences (3% vs 16%) compared to the patients treated with direct muscular suture.