Incisional Hernia after Liver Transplantation: Risk Factors, Management Strategies and Long-Term Outcomes of a Cohort Study.

Abstract Introduction: Incisional hernias (IH) develop in up to 40% of liver transplant (LT) recipients and can contribute to considerable morbidity. Material and methods: A single center retrospective review of a prospectively maintained LT database was conducted to identify all patients diagnosed with IH after LT during a 13-year study period (2003-2015). Analyzed data included patient demographics, LT details, incidence and timing of IH, risk factors, management strategies and long-term outcomes. Results: During the 13-year study period, IH was diagnosed in 16.7% (163/976) of LT recipients after a median of 19.6 months (range 6.7- 49.5 months) from transplant surgery. Identified risk factors for developing IH included male gender (p Conclusion: IH is a late complication following LT and male gender is a consistent predictive marker. Acute presentation is infrequent and elective repair can be planned in most patients allowing for risk factor optimization to ensure promising long-term outcomes.