Prevention of incisional hernia with a reinforced tension line (RTL) versus primary suture only in midline laparotomies: 3-year follow-up in a randomized clinical trial.

PURPOSE: Incisional hernia (IH) has an incidence of 10-23%, which can increase to 38% in specific risk groups. The objective of this study is to report the results at 3 years of follow-up of the use of the reinforced tension line (RTL) technique compared with primary suture only (PSO) closure in the prevention of IH in high-risk patients undergoing laparotomy. METHODS: Open randomized controlled clinical trial. Included were patients older than 18 years who underwent midline laparotomy, emergency or scheduled, who were considered high risk, and who completed 3-year follow-up. The patients were randomized 1:1 to the RTL technique or to PSO. The objective was to report the incidence of IH and the complications associated with the closure method. Intention-to-treat analysis and Cox regression were performed. RESULTS: A total of 124 patients were randomized; 51 patients from the RTL group and 53 patients from the PSO group finished the 3-year follow-up. The incidence of IH was higher in the PSO group (15/53, 28.3%) than the RTL group (5/51, 9.8%) (p = 0.016, OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.14-0.88, number needed to treat 5.4, log-rank test p = 0.017). The groups were similar in the rates of surgical site infection, hematoma, seroma, and postoperative pain during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The RTL technique is useful in the prevention of IH when compared with PSO in high-risk midline laparotomy patients, and it is not associated with a higher percentage of complications. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Local Committee CI-HRAEB-2013-020. March 13, 2013. CLINICAL TRIALS: NCT02136628, retrospectively registered.

Large inguinal bladder hernias: can a preoperative diagnosis be made?

PURPOSE: Bladder hernias are asymptomatic in most cases and are found incidentally during exploration for inguinal hernia repair. The treatment of inguinal bladder hernia is either reduction or resection of the herniated bladder, followed by herniorrhaphy. We present a case series with preoperative diagnoses, along with their surgical outcomes. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records from a single institution over a 5-year period (2012-2017) of five patients with diagnosis of large bladder inguinal hernia. Demographics, clinical status, medical history, anatomical structure of the hernia, and surgical outcomes were all analyzed. RESULTS: Patients' median age was 51 years (range 45-81 years). The median size of the hernial sac was 13 cm (range 8-20 cm). The diagnosis was made with computed tomography in three patients and with ultrasonography and cystography in two patients. Median length of hospital stay was 2 days (range 1-6 days), and median length of follow-up was 28 months (range 18-72 months). All patients continue to be alive and well, without hernia recurrence. The five cases are described separately along with their surgical managements. CONCLUSION: The main objectives in treatment of inguinal bladder hernia are to preserve the voiding function and to avoid bladder injuries in a tension-free hernia repair. To our knowledge, this is the first series of cases in which all inguinal bladder hernias were diagnosed preoperatively.