Abstract
The popularity of laparoscopic repair of ventral hernias is increasing due to the apparent advantages of the procedure, but this approach is still a controversial technique. The aim of our study was to evaluate the mortality rate of laparoscopic ventral hernia repair and analyse the literature. The authors performed a prospective study in 90 patients with ventral hernia who were treated by laparoscopic repair. Clinical parameters and intra- and postoperative complications were evaluated. A case of mortality was reported due to a nonrecognised bowel injury. The mean follow-up (100%) was 42 months (range: 1–5 years). A bibliographical analysis was carried out (MEDLINE). Four bowel injuries were presented (4.4%): three recognised, which required conversion (two treated with minilaparotomy and completed afterwards by laparoscopy, and one by laparotomy); and one nonrecognised, which was re-operated on but evolved to sepsis and multiorgan failure and resulted in death in 48 h (1.1%). Four further mortality rates have been documented in the literature (0.6%, 1.1%, 3.1%, and 3.4% of their series). Bowel injury and mortality show a statistically significant tendency to decrease with the number of operations (P<0.05). In conclusion, in our study the risk of mortality with laparoscopic ventral hernia repair has been higher than 1%, which must be made known. It is a risk that depends on the surgeon’s experience but which does not seem to be predictable.
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Egea, D.A.M., Martinez, J.A.T., Cuenca, G.M. et al. Mortality following laparoscopic ventral hernia repair: lessons from 90 consecutive cases and bibliographical analysis. Hernia 8, 208–212 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10029-004-0214-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10029-004-0214-9