Preoperative abdominal muscle elongation with botulinum toxin A for complex incisional ventral hernia repair.

Background: Surgical repair of recurrent abdominal incisional hernia(s) can be challenging due to complex operative conditions, intense post-operative pain, potential respiratory compromise and lateral muscle traction predisposing to early recurrence. We report our preliminary results with botulinum toxin A (BTA) injection causing flaccid paralysis (relaxation) of the lateral abdominal wall muscles prior to surgery.

Methods: A prospective pilot study measured the effect of preoperative BTA prior to elective repair of recurrent abdominal hernias.