Risk of incisional hernia repair in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

AIM: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may undergo several abdominal surgeries with a risk of incisional hernia repair (IHR). The objectives of this study were to establish the risk of IHR and to analyse predictors of IHR after a first-time abdominal surgery for IBD. METHOD: This Danish nationwide register-based cohort study (1996-2018) followed IBD patients from index operation until the date of IHR. The absolute risk was calculated as the cumulative incidence proportion treating death as a competing risk. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to compare the risk of IHR among different subtypes of IBD and to explore predictors of IHR. IBD subtypes were classified as ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn's disease (CD) or unclassified IBD (IBD-U). RESULTS: In total, 10 130 patients with IBD (UC 3911 [39%]; CD 4210 [41%]; IBD-U 2009 [20%]) underwent either an open or a laparoscopic index operation. The 10-year cumulative incidence of IHR varied between 5.0% and 6.3%, with a significantly higher risk in patients with UC and IBD-U. Patients with UC (75.9%) and IBD-U (91.9%) had more (two or more) abdominal surgeries in the follow-up period compared with CD (51.9%). The risk of IHR increased dramatically with the number of surgeries, although not as markedly if a laparoscopic approach was used. Male sex, age, comorbidity, fascial dehiscence, wound infection and presence of stoma were predictors of IHR for patients with IBD. CONCLUSION: The long-term risk of IHR was roughly 5%-6%, with a higher risk in patients with UC and IBD-U. Open surgical approach and number of previous surgeries were, among other things, important predictors of IHR.

Low admittance rate after ambulatory laparoscopic surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Reducing intra-abdominal pressure from 12 mmHg to 6-8 mmHg during laparoscopy may reduce pain after minor laparoscopic procedures. We hypothesised that post-operative pain following ambulatory laparoscopic surgery was a limiting factor for day surgery. The primary aim of the study was to analyse risk factors for hospital admittance following laparoscopic ambulatory surgery. METHODS: In this explorative prospective uncontrolled study, patients were included consecutively from 1 June 2013 to 31 March 2015 in an ambulatory setting using a standardised anaesthetic and post-operative multimodal analgesic regimen. Patients underwent the following three surgical procedures: laparoscoscopic cholecystectomy and laparoscopic inguinal and umbilical hernia repair. In the post-anaesthesia care unit, pain was repeatedly recorded using a visual analogue scale. The need for intravenously administered on-demand sufentanil was registered. The main reason for admittance to hospital was registered in a structured questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 1,212 consecutive patients were included. Post-operative pain was the main reason for admittance in 14 patients, and 97% of all patients were discharged after a median of 5 h post-operatively (range: 0.4-5.0 h). CONCLUSION: In patients undergoing ambulatory laparoscopic surgery using a perioperative multimodal analgesic regimen, pain was the limiting factor for discharge in 1% of patients operated in an ambulatory set-up. FUNDING: none. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Danish Data Protection Agency: 2012-58-0004, Danish Health Authority: 3-3013-1435/1, Clinicaltrial.gov: NCT02782832.