A clinical study of incisional hernia and management

Background: Incisional hernia is a common surgical condition with a reported incidence of 5-11% of patients subjected to abdominal operations. This study has been under taken to assess the magnitude of this condition and different modalities in surgical repair by mesh in our setup. Methods: This is a prospective study of 30 cases of incisional hernia who attended to out-patient department (OPD) and emergency department of R.L.Jalappa Hospital and Research Centre, Kolar, India from May 2010 to May 2012. Data were collected from the patients. Documentations of patients which includes, identification , history, clinical finding, investigative tests, operation findings, operative procedures and complications during the stay in hospital and during subsequent follow up period, were all recorded in a proforma specially prepared. All patients underwent routine blood and radiology investigations to obtain fitness for surgery. All patients underwent mesh repair based on the size of defect. Patients were followed up for immediate post-operative complications. Results: Most of the patients presented with incisional hernia in the infra umbilical region. There was recurrence of incisional hernia in two patients who had undergone inlay mesh repair and no recurrence in overlay mesh repair group. Comparatively within 3-12 months follow up, overlay mesh repair appears to be certainly superior to inlay repair considering the absence of recurrence. Conclusions: The study concluded that overlay mesh repair is superior to inlay mesh repair for incisional hernia repair.