Smoking Is Correlated to Internal Hernia After Gastric Bypass Surgery: a Post hoc Analysis of Data from a Randomized Clinical Trial.

PURPOSE: Internal herniation is a well-known complication of laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (L-RYGB). The aim of this study was to evaluate smoking as an independent risk factor for internal herniation after L-RYGB. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was performed as an exploratory post hoc analysis of data from a previous published randomized controlled trial (RCT) designed to compare closure and non-closure of mesenteric defects in patients undergoing L-RYGB. The primary outcome of this study was to assess the significance of smoking as a risk factor for internal herniation after L-RYGB. Secondary outcome was early postoperative complications defined as Clavien-Dindo grade ≥ 2. RESULTS: Four hundred one patients were available for post hoc analysis. The risk of internal herniation was significantly higher among patients who were smoking preoperatively (hazard ratio (HR) 2.4, 95% confidence interval (c.i.) 1.3 to 4.5; p = 0.005). This result persisted after adjusting for other patient characteristics (HR 2.2, 1.2 to 4.2; p = 0.016). 6.0% of the patients had postoperative complications within the first 30 days. 4.9% of these patients were smoking and 6.3% were not smoking, p = 0.657. 11.0% of the patients underwent surgery due to internal herniation by 5 years after the primary procedure. CONCLUSION: Smoking is a significant risk factor for internal herniation but did not increase risk for 30 days postoperative complications.

Comparison between the mesenteric fixation method (MEFIX) and conventional methods at preventing the occurrence of Petersen's hernia: a study protocol for a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Petersen's hernia, which occurs after Billroth-II (B-II) or Roux-en-Y (REY) anastomosis, can be reduced by defect closure. This study aims to compare the incidence of bowel obstruction above Clavien-Dindo classification grade III due to Petersen's hernia between the mesenteric fixation method and the conventional methods after laparoscopic or robotic gastrectomy. METHODS: This study was designed as prospective, single-blind, non-inferiority randomized controlled multicenter trial in Korea. Patients with histologically diagnosed gastric cancer of clinical stages I, II, or III who underwent B-II or REY anastomosis after laparoscopic or robotic gastrectomy are enrolled in this study. Participants who meet the inclusion criteria are randomly assigned to two groups: a CLOSURE group that underwent conventional Petersen's defect closure method and a MEFIX group that underwent the mesenteric fixation method. The primary endpoint is the number of patients who underwent surgery for bowel obstruction caused by Petersen's hernia within 3 years after laparoscopic or robotic gastrectomy. DISCUSSION: This trial is expected to provide high-level evidence showing that the MEFIX method can quickly and easily close Petersen's defect without increased postoperative complications compared to the conventional method. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05105360. Registered on November 3, 2021.

Traumatic lumbar hernia: A systematic review of the literature.

PURPOSE: Traumatic lumbar hernia (TLH) constitutes a protrusion of content through a defect in the posterior abdominal wall, as a result of injury. This rare entity has been described in limited number of cases. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was performed according to the meta-analysis of observational studies in epidemiology guidelines. The English literature from 1990 until 2021 was reviewed, using PubMed, EMBASE and Google Scholar bibliographic databases, to identify case reports and case series with patients that were diagnosed with TLH. For each eligible study, demographics, clinical presentation, hernia characteristics, preoperative imaging investigations, operation details, and postoperative data were extracted for assessment. Statistical analysis was performed on SPSS, version 20.0. RESULTS: A total of 62 studies were included for review, with 164 patients with TLH. Mean age was (42.6 ± 14.3) years (47.6% males, 31.1% females, gender not specified in 35 cases). Mean diameter of hernia neck was (6.3 ± 3.1) cm, while the triangles of Petit and Grynfeltt were affected in 74.5% and 14.6%, respectively. Patients diagnosed in the emergency setting account for 54.2%, with CT scan establishing diagnosis in all but one case (97.7%). A delayed diagnosis was made in 45.8%, at a mean 1 year following trauma. Flank bulging (82.8%) and chronic back pain (34.3%) were the most frequent symptoms. In both delayed and acute group, open surgery (63.6% and 92.3%, respectively) was the preferred surgical approach. Postoperative complications were reported in 11.4% of acute and 15.0% of delayed patients. Hernia recurrence was 7%. CONCLUSIONS: TLH is uncommon with 164 cases described since 1990. CT scan is the gold standard in diagnosis. Open surgery is generally the preferred approach, particularly in the emergency setting. Acute TLH can be treated either by primary suture repair or mesh, depending on the local conditions, whereas delayed cases usually require a mesh.

Very low risk of short bowel after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass - a large nationwide Swedish cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is one of the most common bariatric procedures. Internal herniation may lead to small bowel ischemia requiring small bowel resection, resulting in short bowel syndrome. OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of extensive small bowel resection in patients operated with RYGB. We also aimed to look for early clinical warning signs among patients requiring extensive small bowel resection. SETTING: Cohort from national quality registers. METHODS: All patients having undergone RYGB between January 2007 to June 2019 were analyzed in the Scandinavian Obesity Surgery Registry (SOReg). We identified patients with small bowel obstruction (SBO) for whom small bowel resection was necessary. Additionally, we assessed clinical signs in these patients. RESULTS: The study included 57,255 patients having undergone RYGB. Closure of the mesenteric openings was performed in 78%. Surgery for SBO was required in 3659 (6%) of patients, and small bowel resection in 188 (.3%). Extensive small bowel resection, resulting in less than 1.5 meters of remaining small bowel, was required in 7 patients (.01%). All patients with extensive small bowel resection presented with abdominal pain and had confirmed internal herniation as the cause of the small bowel resection, and 2 of 7 patients died. Closure of mesenteric defects was not associated with a reduction in overall small bowel resection rates (P = .89) CONCLUSION: Surgery for SBO after RYGB was common (6%). The risk of extensive small bowel resection leading to short bowel was low (.01%). Patients with abdominal pain after RYGB should be assessed for internal hernia, as it can be devastating.

The evidence mismatch in pediatric surgical practice.

PURPOSE: Outpatient pediatric surgical practice often involves conditions of limited morbidity but significant parental concern. We explore existing evidence-based management recommendations and the mismatch with practice patterns for four common outpatient pediatric surgical conditions. METHODS: Using the Cochrane Rapid Review Group recommendations and librarian oversight, we conducted a rapid review of four outpatient surgical conditions: dermoid cysts, epigastric hernias, hydroceles, and umbilical hernias. We extracted patient demographics, intervention details, outcome measures and evaluated justifications presented for chosen management options. A metric of evidence volume (patient/publication ratio) was generated and compared between diagnoses. RESULTS: Out of 831 articles published since 1990, we identified 49 cohort studies (10-dermoid cyst, 6-epigastric hernia, 25-hydrocele, and 8-umbilical hernia). The 49 publications included 34,172 patients treated across 18 countries. The evidence volume for each outpatient condition demonstrates < 1 cohort/condition/year. The evidence mismatch rate varied between 33 and 75%; many existing recommendations are not evidence-based, sometimes conflicting and frequently misrepresentative of clinical practice. CONCLUSIONS: Published literature concerning common outpatient pediatric surgical conditions is sparse and demonstrates wide variations in practice. All individual practice choices were justified using either risk of complications or patient preference. Most early intervention practices were based on weak or outdated studies and "common wisdom" rather than genuine evidence. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Long-Term Follow-up and Risk of Recurrence of Internal Herniation after Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass.

PURPOSE: Internal herniation (IH) is the most common complication after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (RYGB). Although primary closure has reduced the incidence, recurrences are a continued problem. This study aimed to investigate long-term follow-up and recurrence risk of IH surgery. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of laparoscopic RYGB operated patients operated for a first IH between April 2012 and April 2015 at Skåne University Hospital in Malmö, Sweden. Status of primary closure of mesenteric gaps, time since RYGB, and findings at IH surgery were retrieved from medical records. Follow-up until December 31st, 2019, included recurrences of IH, number of computed tomography (CT) scans, emergency visits, readmissions, and other acute surgeries. RESULTS: IH (n = 44) occurred almost equally in Petersen's space (n = 24) and beneath the jejunojejunostomy (n = 20). Long-term follow-up (median 75 months) of 43 patients registered an IH recurrence rate of 14% (n = 6). All recurrences occurred in the other mesenteric gap. One patient suffered a third IH, and one patient had four IH events. During follow-up, 56% (n = 24) had ER visits for abdominal pain, 47% (n = 20) had ≥ 1 abdominal CT scan, and 40% (n = 17) were readmitted. A third of readmitted (6/17) patients suffered a recurrence of internal herniation. Two other patients were readmitted ≥ 10 times for chronic abdominal pain. CONCLUSION: Surgery for IH had a low risk of recurrence at the treated mesenteric gap, but a 14% recurrence risk at the other mesenteric gap, emphasizing the importance of carefully investigating weaknesses or gaps at the other mesenteric defect during surgery for IH.

Mesenteric Defect Closure and the Rate of Internal Hernia in Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Internal hernias are a worrying complication from laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRGB), with potential small bowel necrosis and obstruction. An electronic database search of Medline, Embase, and Pubmed was performed. All studies investigating the internal hernia rates in patients whose mesenteric defects were closed vs. not closed during LRGB were analysed. Odds ratios were calculated to assess the difference in internal hernia rate. A total of 14 studies totalling 20,553 patients undergoing LRGB were included. Internal hernia rate (220/12,445 (2%) closure vs. 509/8108 (6%) non-closure) and re-operation for small bowel obstruction (86/5437 (2%) closed vs. 300/3132 (10%) non-closure) were reduced when defects were closed. There was no difference observed when sutures were used to close the defects compared to clips/staples.

How to do it: perineal hernia repair.

Perineal hernias are rare complications of surgeries like abdominoperineal resections. This submission is an educational piece outlining the steps to completing a posterior perineal hernia repair with mesh.

Closed or Unclosed Mesentery? A Meta-analysis of Internal Herniation After Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass.

During the laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure, closing mesentery or not was still controversial according to preexisted studies. So, the current meta-analysis aimed to compare the outcome of closure versus non-closure of mesenteric defects in laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Fifteen studies were included, enrolling 53,488 patients. Based on the outcome of analysis, regarding internal hernia, Petersen space's IH, jejunal mesenteric's IH, hospital days, and reoperation, closure of the mesentery was better than non-closure. Besides, small bowel obstruction, anastomosis ulcer, stenosis, leakage, bleeding, gastrointestinal perforation, and postoperative BMI of patients show no difference between non-closure and closure.

Large Traumatic Lumbar Hernia: A Difficult and Uncommon Problem.

Lumbar hernias are congenital or acquired posterolateral abdominal wall hernias and are located in the superior or inferior lumbar triangle. Traumatic lumbar hernias are rare, and the optimal method to repair these is not well-defined. We present the case of a 59-year-old obese female who presented after a motor vehicle collision with an 8.8 cm traumatic right-sided inferior lumbar hernia and overlying complex abdominal wall laceration. The patient underwent an open repair with retro rectus polypropylene mesh and biologic mesh underlay several months after the abdominal wall wound healed, and the patient lost 60 pounds. The patient recovered well without complications or recurrence at the one-year follow-up. This case demonstrates a complex, open surgical approach to repair a large traumatic lumbar hernia not amenable to laparoscopic repair.

Establishing Methods of Defect Closure in Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass: an International Survey.

INTRODUCTION: Internal herniation (IH) can be a life-threatening complication of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Randomised controlled trials support the routine closure of mesenteric spaces at RYGB. However, there is currently no consensus on the method of closure in clinical practice. The purpose of this survey is to understand bariatric surgeons' practice in this regard. METHODS: We conducted an international survey, whereby questions were created through collaboration of a consensus group of bariatric surgeons and hosted on the SurveyMonkey platform. The survey was distributed among British Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society (BOMSS) members and international professional channels including The Upper Gastrointestinal Society (TUGS) and social media. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-six surgeons from 34 countries completed the survey. Of these, 49 respondents were UK-based surgeons with a cumulative experience of approximately 2500 RYGB per annum. Forty-five (91.8%) respondents reported always closing mesenteric defects, of whom 57.8% elected to use non-absorbable non-barbed sutures, followed by staples/clips in 28.9% and a selection of other methods. Most respondents used more than one method. A total of 2 UK and 14 non-UK participants reported never closing mesenteric spaces. CONCLUSIONS: This survey has shown heterogeneity among defect closure and no consensus on preferred type. Additionally, there remains a practice of non-closure of mesenteric defects. We hope these findings help to inform further needed research and consensus building among experts.

Internal hernia after an open gastrectomy: an unusual treatment approach and a systematic review of the literature.

Internal hernia (IH) is a serious complication that can occur after both laparoscopic and open surgery for the treatment of gastric cancer; the transverse colon and mesocolon, act as a natural partition between stomach and the small intestine and, once any type of gastrojejunal anastomosis is constructed, a potential space for internal hernia is created. We present the case of a 68-year-old patient diagnosed with intestinal ischemia due to an IH in the site of the jejunojejunostomy after an open gastrectomy for gastric cancer, treated with negative wound pressure therapy (NWPT) on open abdomen (ABTHERATM dressing).

Postoperative perineal hernia repair: what is the evidence?

The present study determined the characteristics of perineal hernia treatment in the literature, and the incidence of postoperative recurrence was stratified according to repair techniques. A systematic search of the available literature on the treatment of postoperative perineal hernias was performed using a major database. The types of repair techniques and outcome were entered into an electronic database and a pooled analysis was performed. A total of 213 cases of postoperative perineal hernia repair were collected from 20 relevant articles in the literature after excluding case reports (n < 3). Synthetic mesh was the material used most frequently for perineal hernia repair (55.9%). The most frequently used approach in perineal hernia repair was the perineal approach (56.5%). The recurrence rate was highest with the use of biological mesh (40.4%) and the perineal approach (35.6%). The recurrence rate was lowest in the combined abdominal & perineal approach (0%), followed by the abdominal approach (8.8%) and the laparoscopic approach (11.8%). A number of different repair techniques have been described in the literature. The use of synthetic mesh via a combined abdominal-perineal approach or intraabdominal/laparoscopic approach was shown to be associated with a reduced postoperative recurrence rate.

Techniques of perineal hernia repair: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Perineal hernias are rare, underreported and poorly studied complications of extensive pelvic surgeries. Their management is challenging, with currently no treatment algorithm available. METHOD: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases were searched. Studies comprising at least 3 patients who underwent surgical perineal hernia repair were included. The primary outcome was perineal hernia recurrence. The secondary outcomes were overall complications and surgical site occurrences. RESULTS: Twenty-nine studies were included, comprising 325 patients undergoing 347 repairs. Overall complications were 33% (95% confidence interval 24%-43%) in the entire cohort, 31% (19%-44%) after perineal repair, 39% (14%-67%) after abdominal repair, and 36% (19%-53%) after mesh repair (20% with biological, 46% with synthetic mesh). The surgical site occurrence rate was 18% (8%-29%). The overall recurrence rate was 22% (15%-29%). Recurrence after perineal repair was 19% (10%-29%): 20% with mesh (25% with biological, 19% with synthetic), 24% with primary repair, and 39% with flap repair. Recurrence after an abdominal repair was 18% (11%-26%): 16% with laparoscopic, 12% with open, 16% with mesh (24% with biological, 16% with synthetic), 30% with primary, and 25% with flap repair. No significant differences could be found in the meta-analysis regarding overall complications and recurrence. CONCLUSION: Synthetic mesh repair seems to be associated with a lower recurrence rate than other techniques, especially after an abdominal approach. The perineal and abdominal approaches appear to be safe, with similar recurrence rates. The combined approach seems promising, but more evidence is needed.

Management of Blunt Traumatic Abdominal Wall Hernias: An Analysis of the National Trauma Data Bank.

BACKGROUND: Blunt traumatic abdominal wall hernias (TAWH) are uncommon injuries with variable presentation and unstandardized management. Few national systematic descriptive studies have been conducted about TAWH. We present a retrospective descriptive study utilizing the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) to better characterize risk factors associated with TAWH and management practices. METHODS: The NTDB (years 2016-2019) was examined for adult blunt trauma patients who had TAWH. Data included demographics, trauma-specific variables, management strategies, and outcome measures. Descriptive statistics were performed by univariate analysis. RESULTS: 2 871 367 adult blunt trauma patients were identified in the NTDB dataset. 206 had abdominal wall hernias (<.01%). Compared with the overall blunt trauma cohort, patients with TAWH had higher body mass index (BMI) and Injury Severity Scores (ISS), were more likely to be male, and had a higher mortality rate. 44 patients (21%) underwent operative management during their initial admission. Surgically managed patients were younger, had higher ISS and BMI, and were more likely to have concomitant intra-abdominal injuries. The few patients who had laparoscopic surgery had significantly higher BMI. Patients managed operatively had longer hospital and ICU lengths of stay and increased incidence of medical complications. CONCLUSIONS: TAWH is an uncommon complication of blunt abdominal trauma, associated with higher BMI, ISS, and increased mortality. Initial operative management was pursued in 21% of cases, more often in younger, more severely injured patients with other intra-abdominal injuries. Evidence-based guidelines, based on multicenter prospective studies with longer follow-up, should be developed for management of these unique injuries.

Emergency presentation of abdominal wall hernias: Factors affecting resections and surgical-site complications in complex acute scenarios.

OBJECTIVE: Abdominal wall hernias (AWH) may turn into a complex condition in terms of emergency. This study aims to evaluate the factors which may lead emergency AWH operation to complex surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Univariate and multivariate regression analysis is performed to determine independent factors affecting tissue resection, bowel resection, and surgical-site complications. RESULTS: The type of hernia, time, and content of hernia are independent factors for tissue resection. The time elapsed from the onset of complaints to surgery and comorbid diseases are independent factors for bowel resection. Similarly, the time elapsed from the onset of complaints to surgery and bowel presence in hernia is independent risk factors for surgical-site complications. CONCLUSION: Patients who are operated later than 6 h after the onset of complaints and have comorbidity are more complex surgery.

OBJETIVO: Las hernias de la pared abdominal pueden convertirse en un cuadro complejo en términos de urgencia. Este estudio tiene como objetivo evaluar los factores que pueden llevar a una operación de hernia de la pared abdominal de emergencia a una cirugía compleja. MATERIALS Y MÉTODOS: Se realiza un análisis de regresión univariado y multivariado para determinar los factores independientes que afectan la resección de tejido, la resección intestinal y las complicaciones del sitio quirúrgico. RESULTADOS: El tipo de hernia, el tiempo y el contenido de la hernia son factores independientes para la resección del tejido. El tiempo transcurrido desde el inicio de las molestias hasta la cirugía y las enfermedades comórbidas son factores independientes para la resección intestinal. Del mismo modo, el tiempo transcurrido desde el inicio de las molestias hasta la cirugía y la presencia de intestino en la hernia son factores de riesgo independientes para las complicaciones del sitio quirúrgico. CONCLUSIÓN: Los pacientes que son operados después de las seis horas del inicio de las molestias y presentan comorbilidad son cirugías más complejas.

Mesh, flap or combined repair of perineal hernia after abdominoperineal resection - A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM: The aim of this systematic review was to analyse recurrence rates after different surgical techniques for perineal hernia repair. METHOD: All original studies (n ≥ 2 patients) reporting recurrence rates after perineal hernia repair after abdominoperineal resection (APR) were included. The electronic database PubMed was last searched in December 2021. The primary outcome was recurrent perineal hernia. A weighted average of the logit proportions was determined by the use of the generic inverse variance method and random effects model. RESULTS: A total of 19 studies involving 172 patients were included. The mean age of patients was 64 ± 5.6 years and the indication for APR was predominantly cancer (99%, 170/172). The pooled percentage of recurrent perineal hernia was 39% (95% CI: 27%-52%) after biological mesh closure, 29% (95% CI: 21%-39%) after synthetic mesh closure, 37% (95% CI: 14%-67%) after tissue flap reconstruction only and 9% (95% CI: 1%-45%) after tissue flap reconstruction combined with mesh. CONCLUSION: Recurrence rates after mesh repair of perineal hernia are high, without a clear difference between biological and synthetic meshes. The addition of a tissue flap to mesh repair seemed to have a favourable outcome, which warrants further investigation.