Laparoscopic ventral hernia repair: local experience

K Kannan, C Ng, T Ravintharan
Correspondence: Dr Ravintharan Tharmalingam, ravit@starhub.net.sg; drkannansg@yahoo.com.sg

ABSTRACT
Introduction Laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LVHR) is a recent development that has been shown to be an effective way of treating ventral hernias. We present the first local series of LVHR with a review of the literature on laparoscopic ventral herniorrhaphy.
Methods We retrospectively reviewed all our patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery for ventral hernias from December 1998 to May 2002. Results of LVHR such as operative time, length of hospital stay, complications and recurrence rates were evaluated.
Results Twenty patients underwent LVHR. There were 16 female and four male patients. The average age was 54 years. The mean fascial defect was 46 square cm. An ePTFE Mesh was used in all the patients except for one patient who had a prolene mesh. The mean operative time was 117 minutes and the hospital stay was two days. There were two minor complications and no major complications. With a mean follow-up period of 14.9 months, the recurrence rate was 5.0 percent with a single recurrence at four months.
Conclusion Our initial experience with this modality shows that LVHR a feasible option with great potential in both treatment success and reduction of surgical morbidity.

Keywords: herniorrhaphy, laparoscopic surgery, laparoscopic ventral hernia repair, ventral hernia
Singapore Med J 2004; 45(6): 271-275