A Retrospective, Observational and Descriptive Study of 111 Ventral Hernia Repairs: Is the Open Approach Already over the Hill?

Objectives: Incisional ventral hernia repair remains a challenging surgery for abdominal wall surgeons. We report the results at 48 months post-surgery regarding open ventral hernia repair (OVHR), analyzing the recurrence rate and incidence of chronic pain. Methods: This was a retrospective, observational study of 111 consecutive patients who underwent OVHR. Between January 2017 and December 2019, patient data were collected from a database and classified by hernia type. Through questionnaires and clinical examinations, the recurrence rate and incidence of chronic pain (measured using the VAS score and a Likert scale) were obtained. Results: In all patients, the hernia repair was performed via an open approach. Long-term follow-up (48 months after surgery) revealed that 20% of patients experienced mild chronic pain alongside the flanks, and the recurrence rate was 5%. Moreover, long-term follow-up revealed the following secondary outcomes: movement limitations in sports were reported in 7% of patients, and movement limitations during long walking were reported in 11% of patients. Conclusions: Our technique for OVHR is a safe procedure with a low rate of recurrence and chronic pain. Our future aim is to organize a prospective study.