Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia: Demographics and 30-day Outcomes in Adults.

Background: Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a pathology most often affecting the pediatric population, although adults can also be affected. Few studies exist of adults undergoing repair of this defect. Using a national database, we sought to determine demographics and outcomes of this population.

Methods: An analysis of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) database (2015-2018) was performed, capturing patients with postoperative diagnosis of CDH, distinct from ventral hernia. Two groups were created based upon surgical approach of open or minimally invasive (MIS) repair. Baseline demographics and outcomes were compared.

Results: 110 patients undergoing surgical correction of CDH were captured in the database. We found rates of return to the operating room (4.55%), postoperative respiratory failure (5.45%), and reintubation (3.64%) with no difference between groups. There was no mortality and no difference between groups in length of operation, discharge to home, or postoperative complications. Patients undergoing open repair had a longer length of stay than patients in the MIS group (6.47 ± 10.76 days vs. 3.68 ± 3.74 days, = .0471). Mesh was used in MIS more often than the open group (47.30% vs. 5.56%, < .0001).

Discussion: This study describes rates of postoperative complications in patients undergoing repair of CDH, and suggests outcomes those are equivalent between patients receiving open or MIS approaches. Further case series or retrospective studies are needed to further describe this population of patients.