Article
Long term follow up for incisional hernia after severe secondary peritonitis – incidence and risk factors
Search Medline for
Authors
Published: | May 17, 2010 |
---|
Outline
Text
Introduction: In patients with secondary peritonitis, infections of the abdominal cavity might render the abdominal wall susceptible to secondary complications like incisional hernias (IH).
Materials and methods: 198 patients treated for secondary peritonitis underwent midline laparotomy. 92 surviving patients accessible to clinical follow-up were examined for the occurrence of IH and risk factors at the time of surgery or during follow-up were determined.
Results: 54.3% of the patients developed an IH during a median follow-up of 6 years. A high body mass index, coronary heart disease, intense blood loss, requirement of intra- or postoperative transfusions and small bowel perforation as source of peritonitis were associated with IH.
Conclusion: IH occurs quite frequently after surgery for secondary peritonitis. Preexisting risk factors for IH and intraoperative blood loss or requirement of blood transfusions correlate with the development of IH. Interestingly, surgical technique did not correlate with the development of IH in this series.