Incidence of Port-Site Hernias: A Survey and Literature Review

• Published in: Surgical laparoscopy, endoscopy & percutaneous techniques Vol. 26; no. 6; pp. 425 - 430
• Main Authors: Holihan, Julie L, Chen, Jeffery S, Greenberg, James, Hehir, Dermot, Johnston, Sean M, Marcus, Daniel, Ryan, Heidi, Tsuda, Shawn, Liang, Mike K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Copyright Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved 01-12-2016
• Subjects: Cephalosporins; Global Health; Hernia, Ventral - surgery; Herniorrhaphy - adverse effects; Humans; Incidence; Incisional Hernia - epidemiology; Laparoscopy - adverse effects; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 1530-4515; 1534-4908
• DOI: 10.1097/SLE.0000000000000341

BACKGROUND:The impact of laparoscopy on the prevalence of incisional hernias remains unclear. The aim of this study is to determine (1) surgeon perceptions of port-site hernias (PSHs), (2) the true incidence of PSH.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:A survey on PSH was given to determine the surgeon-reported rate of PSH. A literature review was performed for studies with a primary outcome of PSH. Studies were evaluated using checklists, and scores were used to compare risk of bias. Risk of bias was graphed against PSH incidence.
RESULTS:From 38 surgeons surveyed, the surgeon perceived rate of PSH was a median (range) of 0.5% (0% to 5%) for ports ≤5 mm, 5% (0.1% to 20%) for ports extended, and 5% (0.1% to 40%) for ports ≥10 mm. Thirty studies showed a PSH rate from 0% to 39.3%. Higher quality studies reported higher rates of PSH.
CONCLUSIONS:Surgeons underestimate the incidence of PSH, but high-quality literature suggests that it may be nearly 40%.