Incisional hernia in re-opened abdominal incisions: An overlooked risk factor

Abstract

Abstract Many patients undergoing laparotomy will have had a previous incision in the abdominal wall which offers a convenient and logical route for re-exploration. This study aims to examine the risk of subsequent incisional herniation in incisions made through previous scar tissue compared with incisions made through fresh tissues. Out of a total of 1022 laparotomies performed in a 5-year period on one surgical unit, the incisional hernia rates were available for assessment in 699 freshly made incisions, 142 re-incisions and 36 incisional hernias. The incidence of incisional hernia was 6 per cent after freshly made incisions and this incidence was increased after both re-incision (12 per cent, P<0·05) and incisional hernia repair (44 per cent, P < 0·01). With the exception of jaundice, none of the other commonly accepted risk factors for incisional herniation were significantly increased in those patients with re-incised wounds who subsequently developed a hernia, when compared with patients who did not develop a hernia. An increased risk of incisional herniation is present when laparotomy is performed through a previous abdominal incision.