Laparoscopic repair of ventral/incisional hernias with the "Slim-Mesh" technique without transabdominal fixation sutures: preliminary report on short/midterm results

This study details our experience with a new laparoscopic technique called "Slim-Mesh" without using transabdominal full-thickness stitches, to treat ventral and incisional hernias (V/IH). Since 2009-May 2015, 28 consecutive patients with V/IH were treated in our center, with this new SM technique. Fifty percent males were included in this retrospective study, averaging 59 years (range 31-81 years). Mean body mass index was 26 and VH size was <10 cm in 24 cases and in 4 cases was larger, up to 22 cm. Mean operative time in the 28 V/IH patients was 97 min (range 57-160 min) and in those with V/IH larger than 10 cm it was 135 min. In 14.2% of patients laparoscopy diagnosed others V/IH previously undetected by physical examination and CT-scan. In all patients a composite mesh was used, up to 30 cm in size. In this series we had one intraoperative complication (3.6%) with transient bradycardia, but no conversion occurred; no early postoperative complication was detected. Mean length of hospital stay was 3.0 days. Mean follow-up time was 40 months (range 13-78 months). Late surgical complications included one case (3.6%) of incisional hernia recurrence and one case of 10 mm trocar site incisional hernia. This new surgical technique for V/IH repair, makes easy the handling and fixation of the composite mesh without using transabdominal fixation sutures, and appears in our experience fast, and simple.