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Staged hernia repair preceded by gastric bypass for the treatment of morbidly obese patients with complex ventral hernias

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Abstract

Background

Obesity may be the most predominant risk factor for recurrence following ventral hernia repair. This is secondary to significantly increased intra-abdominal pressures, higher rates of wound complications, and the technical difficulties encountered due to obesity. Medically managed weight loss prior to surgery is difficult. One potential strategy is to provide a surgical means to correct patient weight prior to hernia repair.

Methods

After institutional review board approval, we reviewed the medical records of all patients who underwent gastric bypass surgery prior to the definitive repair of a complex ventral hernia at our medical center.

Results

Twenty-seven morbidly obese patients with an average of 3.7 (range 1–10) failed ventral hernia repairs underwent gastric bypass prior to definitive ventral hernia repair. Twenty-two of the gastric bypasses were open operations and five were laparoscopic. The patients’ average pre-bypass body mass index (BMI) was 51 kg/m2 (range 39–69 kg/m2), which decreased to an average of 33 kg/m2 (range 25–37 kg/m2) at the time of hernia repair at a mean of 1.3 years (range 0.9–3.1 years) after gastric bypass. Seven patients had hernia repair at the same time as their gastric bypass (four sutured, three biologic mesh), all of which recurred. Of the 27 patients, 19 had an open hernia repair and eight had a laparoscopic repair. Panniculectomy was performed concurrently in 15 patients who had an open repair. Prior to formal hernia repair, one patient required an urgent operation to repair a hernia incarceration and a small-bowel obstruction 11 months after gastric bypass. The average hernia and mesh size was 203 cm2 (range 24–1,350 cm2) and 1,040 cm2 (range 400–2,700 cm2), respectively. There have been no recurrences at an average follow-up of 20 months (range 2 months–5 years).

Conclusion

Gastric bypass prior to staged ventral hernia repair in morbidly obese patients with complex ventral hernias is a safe and definitive method to effect weight loss and facilitate a durable hernia repair with a possible reduced risk of recurrence.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Gastrointestinal and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Carolinas Medical Center, 1000 Blythe Boulevard, MEB #601, Charlotte, NC, 28203, USA

    W. L. Newcomb, J. L. Polhill, A. Y. Chen, T. S. Kuwada, K. S. Gersin, S. B. Getz, K. W. Kercher & B. T. Heniford

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  1. W. L. Newcomb
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  2. J. L. Polhill
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  3. A. Y. Chen
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  4. T. S. Kuwada
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  5. K. S. Gersin
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  6. S. B. Getz
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  7. K. W. Kercher
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  8. B. T. Heniford
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to B. T. Heniford.

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No outside funding was received for this study.

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Newcomb, W.L., Polhill, J.L., Chen, A.Y. et al. Staged hernia repair preceded by gastric bypass for the treatment of morbidly obese patients with complex ventral hernias. Hernia 12, 465–469 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10029-008-0381-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10029-008-0381-1

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