A Classification System Specific for Recurrent Inguinal Hernia Following Open Hernia Surgery.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Currently, there is no classification system specializing in recurrent inguinal hernia (RIH) after open-surgery. For this reason, in this study we proposed one so as to understand the causes of RIH. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Recurrence of IH after suture-repair was classified either as the tissue-loosening (TL) or the tissue-disruption (TD) type. Recurrence after open-mesh-repair was classified according to the locational relation between the hernia-defect and the mesh, as follows: i) mesh-distant (MD), ii) para-mesh (PM), iii) mesh-migration (MM), and iv) unclassifiable (UC). Fifty-two RIHs in 48 patients were classified, using this system, and analyzed. RESULTS: This system-based classification led to the identification of: i) MM in 11 lesions, ii) PM in 11, iii) MD in 10, iv) TL in 7, v) TD in 5, and vi) UC in 8 lesions. The median time to recurrence (MTR) was significantly shorter in patients who had previously undergone a mesh-repair (n=34) compared to those who had undergone a suture-repair (n=13) [Mesh-repair vs. suture-repair MTR: 1.6 years (0.1-20) vs. 30 years (15-72), p<0.001]. MTR was significantly shorter in the following order: i) MM [0.5(0.1-2.0)]), ii) PM [2.6(0.2-15)]), iii) MD [11(0.5-20)], iv) TD [20(15-30)], and v) TL [40(30-72)] (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: This classification system helps understand the causes of RIH, leading to improved outcomes following open-surgery in the future.

Subcutaneous switching suture technique for hernia defect closure during laparoscopic ventral and incisional hernia repair.

INTRODUCTION: A vertical penetration of the thread through the abdominal wall for the hernia defect closure in laparoscopic ventral/incisional hernia repair (LVIHR) is difficult especially in the large defect cases when applying the existing techniques. MATERIALS: Sixteen LVIHRs were performed using the suture technique for defect closure we newly developed. SURGICAL TECHNIQUE: With the subcutaneous switching, our technique only requires the suture-passer and easily enables the vertical penetration of the thread through the abdominal muscular wall even in the large defect cases. DISCUSSION: The defect closure in LVIHR tends to be complicated in the large defect cases. Thus, we devised this technique for the easy, reliable, and firm closure even in the large defect cases. Although the sample size was currently very small, we consider that the favorable outcomes have been obtained through our technique because any noticeable complications, such as mesh bulging or recurrence, have not been observed currently.

Completely laparoscopic repair for recurrent inguinal hernia that developed after open posterior mesh repair.

Surgeons tend to avoid performing completely laparoscopic repair (CLR) for recurrent inguinal hernia (RIH) that developed after the open posterior mesh repair (OPMR). For many, totally extraperitoneal repair or transabdominal preperitoneal repair after OPMR seems difficult because the previously placed mesh may pose an obstacle during the exfoliation of the parietal peritoneum. Moreover, these procedures could cause chronic pain if the "trapezoid of disaster" is injured. In this small case series, we describe our operative technique for CLR for RIH after OPMR, including modified transabdominal preperitoneal repair and modified intraperitoneal onlay mesh repair. The short-term and midterm outcomes of this procedure are also reported. Although we recognize the need for further analysis involving many more cases and a longer follow-up period, we will continue to perform CLR for RIH after OPMR because the results of this small case series were favorable.

Defining the Term "Elderly" in the Field of Surgery: A Retrospective Study Regarding the Changes in the Immunoinflammatory Indices During the Immediate Perioperative Period of the Elective Uncomplicated Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUNDS: The term "elderly" seems to have been used as "vulnerable to various stresses" but not well defined. To define the "elderly", we investigated whether the increased age causes unfavorable changes in several immunoinflammatory indices that indicate the increased vulnerability in the surgical field. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One-hundred forty-two patients undergoing an elective-uncomplicated laparoscopic cholecystectomy (within 60 min and without intraoperative-cholangiography, bile spillage, or open conversion) were retrospectively investigated. Before surgery, immediately after surgery, and on postoperative day (POD)1, whether the patient age correlated the following variables was examined: neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, lymphocyte-to-C-reactive-protein ratio (LCR), C-reactive-protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR), and others. RESULTS: The immunoinflammatory indices most unfavorably changed on POD1. The age correlated neither lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio nor platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio on POD1, when NLR, LCR, and CAR showed the significant correlation with the age. Multiple regression analyses determined the following variables as the independent determinants of these 3 indices on POD1: age, intraoperative minimum body temperature ≥35.5°C (IntMinBT ≥35.5°C), maximum heart rate during POD0-1 (MaxHR) for NLR; age and IntMinBT ≥ 35.5°C for LCR; and age and MaxHR for CAR. The threshold of "elderly" was determined as 102-year-old for NLR, 94-year-old for LCR, and 97-year-old for CAR. CONCLUSIONS: The increased age causes the unfavorable changes in early postoperative immunoinflammatory indices after the uncomplicated laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Thus, the term "elderly" can be rephrased by the term "vulnerable to various surgical stresses." The thresholds for "elderly" defined herein seem impractical. Namely, the increased vulnerability caused by the aging seems modified by the individual surgical procedures.