LAPAROSCOPIC REPAIR OF LARGE INCISIONAL HERNIAS

Conventional repair of large incisional hernias is often associated wi th a painful postoperative recovery and a delayed return to normal act ivities. We describe here a technique of laparoscopic incisional herni a repair and review our experience with 30 cases. Hernias ranging in s ize from 10 to 420 cm(2) (mean, 104 cm(2)) were repaired using a polyt etrafluoroethylene patch (16 cases) and a Prolene mesh (14 cases), Ope rating room time ranged from 45 mins to 190 min (mean 108 mins). Posto p stay ranged from 1 to 17 days (mean, 4.3 days; median, 3 days). Foll ow-up extends beyond 18 months. Postoperative complications included i leus (three cases) trocar site infection (one case) and urinary retent ion (two cases). There has been one hernia recurrence to date. Our exp erience with the laparoscopic repair of incisional hernias reveals it to be technically feasible with minimal morbidity, allowing patients p rompt resumption of regular activities. Prospective comparison with co nventional repair and longer follow-up are needed.