Association of active smoking on 30-day wound events and additional morbidity and mortality following inguinal hernia repair with mesh: an analysis of the ACHQC database.

BACKGROUND: To date, there is limited data on the association of active smoking and 30-day wound events following inguinal hernia repair (IHR) with mesh. We aimed to determine if active smoking at the time of IHR with mesh was associated with worse 30-days wound events and additional morbidity outcomes using the Abdominal Core Health Quality Collaborative (ACHQC) database. METHODS: All adult patients undergoing elective, IHR with mesh who had 30-day follow-up data available were identified within the ACHQC database. Smokers were defined as having used nicotine within the 30 days prior to surgery. A 1:1 propensity score matched analysis was performed comparing smokers to non-smokers, controlling for factors previously shown to be associated with postoperative wound events. The effect of smoking on 30-day wound events and additional morbidity outcomes following IHR with mesh was investigated using Chi-square or Fisher's exact test for categorical data and Wilcoxon ranked test for continuous data. RESULTS: A total of 17,543 patients met inclusion criteria; 1855 (11%) were active smokers at the time of minimally invasive IHR with mesh. A total of 3694 patients were used for the matched analysis. There were no statistically significant differences between the non-smokers and smokers with respect to the incidence of surgical site infection (p = 0.10), surgical site occurrences (p = 0.22), or surgical site occurrences requiring procedural intervention (p = 0.64). Non-smokers were significantly more likely to be readmitted to the hospital and had significantly less improvement in all pain domains following IHR with mesh. CONCLUSIONS: Active smoking at the time of IHR with mesh is not associated with worse 30-day wound or additional morbidity and mortality outcomes. Based on these results, preoperative smoking cessation for all patients undergoing IHR may not reduce 30-day morbidity.

Concurrent Umbilical Hernia Repair at the Time of Liver Transplantation: A Six-Year Experience from a Single Institution.

BACKGROUND: Umbilical hernias are common in patients with end-stage liver disease undergoing liver transplantation. Management of those persisting at the time of liver transplantation is important to define. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the long-term results of patients undergoing simultaneous primary umbilical hernia repair (UHR) at the time of liver transplantation at a single institution. METHODS: Retrospective chart review was performed on patients undergoing simultaneous UHR and liver transplantation from 2010 through 2016. 30-day morbidity and mortality outcomes and long-term hernia recurrence were investigated. RESULTS: 59 patients had primary UHR at the time of liver transplantation. All hernias were reducible with no overlying skin breakdown or leakage of ascites. 30-day morbidity and mortality included 5 (8%) superficial surgical site infections, 1 (2%) deep surgical site infection, and 7 (12%) organ space infections. Unrelated to the UHR, 10 (17%) patients had an unplanned return to the operating room, 16 (27%) were readmitted within 30 days of their index operation, and 1 (2%) patient died. With a mean follow-up of 21.8 months, 7 (18%) patients experienced an umbilical hernia recurrence. CONCLUSION: Despite the high perioperative morbidity associated with the transplant procedure, concurrent primary UHR resulted in an acceptable long-term recurrence rate with minimal associated morbidity.

A call for standardization of wound events reporting following ventral hernia repair.

INTRODUCTION: Postoperative wound events following ventral hernia repair are an important outcome measure. While efforts have been made by hernia surgeons to identify and address risk factors for postoperative wound events following VHR, the definition of these events lacks standardization. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to detail the variability of wound event definitions in recent ventral hernia literature and to propose standardized definitions for postoperative wound events following VHR. METHODS: The top 50 cited ventral hernia, peer-reviewed publications from 1995 through 2015 were identified using the search engine Google Scholar. The definition of wound event used and the incidence of postoperative wound events was recorded for each article. The number of articles that used a standardized definition for surgical site infection (SSI), surgical site occurrence (SSO), or surgical site occurrence requiring procedural intervention (SSOPI) was also identified. RESULTS: Of the 50 papers evaluated, only nine (18%) used a standardized definition for SSI, SSO, or SSOPI. The papers that used standardized definitions had a smaller variability in the incidence of wound events when compared to one another and their reported rates were more consistent with recently published ventral hernia repair literature. CONCLUSION: Postoperative wound events following VHR are intimately associated with patient quality of life and long-term hernia repair durability. Standardization of the definition of postoperative wound events to include SSI, SSO, and SSOPI following VHR will improve the ability of hernia surgeons to make evidence-based decisions regarding the management of ventral hernias.

Single-center ventral hernia repair with porcine dermis collagen implant.

INTRODUCTION: This study aims to evaluate the outcomes and utilization of porcine acellular dermal collagen implant (PADCI) during VHR at a large tertiary referral center. METHODS: Records of 5485 patients who underwent VIHR from June 1995 to August 2014 were retrospectively reviewed to identify patients >18 years of age who had VIHR with PADCI reinforcement. Use of multiple mesh reinforcement products, inguinal hernias, and hiatal hernias were exclusion criteria. The primary outcome was hernia recurrence, and secondary outcomes were early complications and surgical site occurrences (SSOs). Uni- and multivariate analyses assessed risk factors for recurrence after PADCI reinforced VIHR. RESULTS: There were 361 patients identified (54.5% female, mean age of 56.7 ± 12.5 years, and mean body mass index (BMI) of 33.0 ± 9.9 kg/m2). Hypertension (49.5%), diabetes (24.3%), and coronary artery disease (14.4%) were the most common comorbidities, as was active smoking (20.7%). Most were classified as American Association of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Class 3 (61.7%). Hernias were distributed across all grades of the ventral hernia working group (VHWG) grading system: grade I 93 (25.7%), grade II 51 (14.1%), grade III 113 (31.3%), and grade IV 6 (1.6%). Most VIHR were performed from an open approach (96.1%), and were frequently combined with concomitant surgical procedures (47.9%). Early postoperative complications (first 30 days) were reported in 39.0%, with 71 being SSO. Of the 19.7% of patients with SSO, there were 31 who required procedural intervention. After a mean follow-up of 71.5 ± 20.5 months, hernia recurrence was documented in 34.9% of patients. Age and male gender were predictors of recurrence on multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, this is the largest retrospective single institutional study evaluating PADCI to date. Hernias repaired with PADCI were frequently in patients undergoing concomitant operations. Reinforcement with PADCI may be considered a temporary closure, with a relatively high recurrence rate, especially among patients who are older, male, and undergo multiple explorations in a short perioperative period.

Single center experience with the modified retromuscular Sugarbaker technique for parastomal hernia repair.

PURPOSE: Parastomal hernias are challenging to manage, and an optimal repair has yet to be defined. An open, modified, retromuscular Sugarbaker technique has recently been described in the literature as a technically feasible approach to parastomal hernia repair. This study evaluates our initial institutional experience with parastomal hernia repair with the aforementioned technique with respect to safety and durability. METHODS: All patients who underwent an open, modified retromuscular Sugarbaker parastomal hernia repair from 2014 through 2016 at our institution were identified. Patient characteristics, hernia variables, operative details, and 30-day and medium-term outcomes were abstracted from the Americas Hernia Society Quality Collaborative database. Outcomes of interest included 30-day wound morbidity, mesh-related complications, and hernia recurrence. RESULTS: Thirty-eight patients met inclusion criteria. 20 (53%) patients presented to our institution for management of a recurrent parastomal hernia. 35 (92%) patients had a concurrent midline incisional hernia with a mean total hernia width of 15.1 cm and mean defect size of 353 cm2. Thirty-day wound morbidity rate was 13%. At a mean of follow-up of 13 months (range 4-30), the hernia recurrence rate was 11%. Three patients (8%) experienced mesh erosion into the stoma bowel, leading to stoma necrosis, bowel obstruction, and/or perforation which required reoperation at day 8, 12, and 120 days, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The outcomes of the retromuscular Sugarbaker technique for the management of parastomal hernias have been disappointing at our institution, with a concerning rate of serious mesh-related complications. This operation, as originally described, needs further study before widespread adoption with a particular focus on the technique of mesh placement, the most appropriate mesh selection, and the long-term rate of mesh erosion.

Umbilical hernia repair in pregnant patients: review of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.

BACKGROUND: Umbilical hernias present commonly during pregnancy secondary to increased intra-abdominal pressure. As a result, umbilical hernia incarceration or strangulation may affect pregnant females. The purpose of this study is to detail the operative management and 30-day outcomes of umbilical hernias in pregnant patients using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP). METHODS: All female patients undergoing umbilical hernia repair during pregnancy were identified within the ACS-NSQIP. Preoperative patient variables, intraoperative variables, and 30-day patient morbidity and mortality outcomes were investigated using a variety of statistical tests. RESULTS: A total of 126 pregnant patients underwent umbilical hernia repair from 2005 to 2014; 73 (58%) had incarceration or strangulation at the time of surgical intervention. The majority of patients (95%) underwent open umbilical hernia repair. Superficial surgical site infection was the most common morbidity in patients undergoing open umbilical hernia repair. CONCLUSIONS: Based on review of the ACS-NSQIP database, the incidence of umbilical hernia repair during pregnancy is very low; however, the majority of patients required repair for incarceration of strangulation. When symptoms develop, these hernias can be repaired with minimal 30-day morbidity to the mother. Additional studies are needed to determine the long-term recurrence rate of umbilical hernia repairs performed in pregnant patients and the effects of surgical intervention and approach on the fetus.

Is there an association between surgeon hat type and 30-day wound events following ventral hernia repair?

INTRODUCTION: While several patient and operative variables have been shown to be associated with an increased risk of postoperative wound events, the association between surgical hat type worn by surgeons and postoperative wound events remains controversial. The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between type of surgical hat worn by surgeons and the incidence of postoperative wound events following ventral hernia repair using the Americas Hernia Society Quality Collaborative database. METHODS: All surgeons who input at least ten patients with 30-day follow-up into the AHSQC were identified. These surgeons were sent a survey asking them to identify the type of surgical hat they wear in the operating room. The association of the type of surgical hat worn, patient variables, and operative factors with 30-day wound events was investigated using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 68 surgeons responded to the survey, resulting in 6210 cases available for analysis. The type of surgical hat worn by surgeons was not found to be associated with an increased risk of 30-day surgical site infections or surgical site occurrences requiring procedural intervention. CONCLUSION: Our study is the first study to directly compare the association of surgical hat type with postoperative wound events. There is no association between the type of surgical hat worn and the incidence of postoperative wound events following ventral hernia repair. Our findings suggest that surgical hate type may be chosen at the discretion of operating room personnel without fear of detriment to their patients.

What is the fate of the cholecystostomy tube following percutaneous cholecystostomy?

INTRODUCTION: Cholecystectomy is the preferred treatment for acute cholecystitis with percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) considered an alternative therapy in severely debilitated patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and outcomes of PC at a tertiary referral center. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all patients that had undergone PC from 2000 to 2014. Data collected included baseline demographics, comorbidities, details of PC placement and management, and post-procedure outcomes. The Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) was calculated for all patients at the time of PC. RESULTS: Four hundred and twenty-four patients underwent PC placement from 2000 to 2014, and a total of 380 patients had long-term data available for review. Within this cohort, 223 (58.7 %) of the patients were male. The mean age at the time of PC placement was 65.3 ± 14.2 years of age, and the mean CCI was 3.2 ± 2.1 for all patients. One hundred and twenty-five (32.9 %) patients went on to have a cholecystectomy following PC placement. Comparison of patients who underwent PC followed by surgical intervention revealed that they were significantly younger (p = 0.0054) and had a lower CCI (p < 0.0001) compared to those who underwent PC alone. CONCLUSIONS: PC placement appears to be a viable, long-term alternative to cholecystectomy for the management of biliary disease in high-risk patients. Old and frail patients benefit the most, and in this cohort PC may be the definitive treatment.