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Robotic retromuscular ventral hernia repair and transversus abdominis release: short-term outcomes and risk factors associated with perioperative complications

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Abstract

Background

Retromuscular ventral hernia repairs have become increasingly popular, both with and without transversus abdominis release. We aim to describe our 90-day outcomes in patients who underwent robotic retromuscular ventral hernia repair (RRVHR).

Methods

All patients were subcategorized into those who underwent a TAR (TAR+) as part of their repair, and those who did not (TAR−). Patient demographics, comorbidities, hernia characteristics, and LOS were studied. Perioperative complications were reviewed in four different time frames up to 90 days. All hernias and complications were classified using the recommended classification systems. Appropriate univariate analyses and multivariate regression analyses were performed to determine the hernia characteristics which required a TAR technique, and risk factors which associated with the development of complications.

Results

Of 454 robotic ventral hernia repairs, 101 patients who underwent RRVHR were included into the study. Of these, 54 patients underwent RRVHR with TAR while the remaining 47 patients underwent repair without TAR. Incisional hernias, off-midline locations, and larger size defects were factors that required the addition of a TAR. In 9.9% patients, an unplanned TAR was performed. Postoperative pain assessment was similar in both groups. LOS was significantly longer for TAR + group (p < 0.001). The median Comprehension Complication Index® score was 8.7 (range: 0–42.4) for all patients and was significantly higher for TAR+ group (p = 0.014). Complications were higher in the TAR+ group as compared to the TAR− group (p = 0.028), though this difference did not persist in follow-up. Most complications were minor (Clavien–Dindo grade-I and -II). The development of complications was only associated with the presence of an incarcerated hernia at repair.

Conclusion

RRVHR is safe and feasible. 9.9% of our cohort required a TAR that was unplanned, particularly incisional hernias. TAR patients may be more prone to complications in the immediate post-operative period, however, the difference between patients with and without TAR adjuncts resolved at 90 days.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr. Elif Gokcal for helping us with this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Good Samaritan Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, One Pear Street, Brockton, MA, 02301, USA

    F. Gokcal, S. Morrison & O. Y. Kudsi

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  1. F. Gokcal
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  3. O. Y. Kudsi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to O. Y. Kudsi.

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Conflict of interest

Drs. Gokcal and Morrison have no conflicts of interest or financial ties to disclose. Dr. Kudsi receives teaching course and/or consultancy fees from Intuitive, Bard, Medtronic, Gore, Optecks, Medrobotic, outside the submitted work.

Ethical approval

The Institutional Review Board approved this study.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Gokcal, F., Morrison, S. & Kudsi, O.Y. Robotic retromuscular ventral hernia repair and transversus abdominis release: short-term outcomes and risk factors associated with perioperative complications. Hernia 23, 375–385 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10029-019-01911-1

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