Minimally invasive incisional herniorrhaphy: a review of 208 cases.

Background: Minimally invasive incisional herniorrhaphy has become an accepted approach for incisional hernia. However, the ideal technique for this procedure is not known. The authors present their technique and personal experience with minimally invasive incisional herniorrhaphy.

Methods: A retrospective review investigated 208 consecutive patients who underwent minimally invasive incisional hernia repair under the supervision of a single surgeon between 1995 and 2002.

Results: An intraperitoneal mesh repair was performed in all cases. There were no conversions. The mean operative time was 2.1 h (range, 0.8-4.5 h). The mean length of hospital stay was 2.5 days (range, 0-13 days). There were six complications, including two bowel perforations, and zero mortality. There were three recurrences during the follow-up period, which ranged from 6 to 72 months (median, 24 months).

Conclusions: Minimally invasive incisional herniorrhaphy yielded an acceptable morbidity and recurrence rate during the follow-up period. The outcome compares favorably with that for open incisional hernia repair. Although long-term follow-up evaluation is desirable, the data support the contention that the minimally invasive approach is an appropriate option for incisional hernia.