Effects of Comorbidities and Implant Reinforcement on Outcomes After Component Reconstruction of the Abdominal Wall

A series of patients undergoing component reconstruction of midline abdominal wall separations was analyzed to assess the effects of comorbidities and biological implant reinforcements on outcomes. Thirty-nine patients were identified as fitting the technical definition of component repairs and having at least 12 months of documented follow-up. This group of procedures had a 67% primary healing rate, 18% and 13% rate of major and minor complications, respectively, and a total of 90% successful reconstructions after secondary procedures. Variables assessed for outcome influences included etiology of the abdominal wall separation, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and biological implant reinforcements, including absorbable mesh and biological implants. None of these factors significantly influenced outcome, although first time repairs and reinforced repairs had suggestively higher success rates. This data suggest that comorbidities do not influence outcomes of component abdominal wall repairs, and assessments of the problem and ongoing technical refinements of the procedure should be studied further.