Essential anatomical landmarks in placement of an adequate size mesh for a successful ventral hernia repair

Abstract

Safe and effective hernia repair requires a surgeon to have the appropriate knowledge necessary to learn details of the surgical technique. Long-term results of treatment, even with the use of synthetic implants, have shown that recurrences were still a significant clinical problem concerning up to every fourth patient. Therefore, it was pointed out that the mere presence of synthetic material is not a solitary circumstance sufficient for a successful repair. A key finding in recurrence prevention has been to focus surgeons' attention on the relationship between the size of the hernia orifice and the mesh surface. An optimal ratio of these values has not been established yet, however, it is considered that the mesh surface area should be at least sixteen times larger than the area of the abdominal wall defect. In cases of medium and large hernias, in order to place an extensive mesh sheet in the appropriate anatomical space of the abdominal wall, an extensive dissection needs to be performed, including several different compartments. Therefore, a surgeon undertaking a hernia repair needs to know perfectly the anatomy and function of all the myofascial structures involved. Performing an incorrect dissection of a mistaken structure may lead to catastrophic abdominal deformities. Depriving the patient of the natural support of the abdominal wall provided by the muscles may lead to total or partial destabilization of the trunk and lead to disability. In this paper a detailed description of anatomical structures and its practical use has been presented.