Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 4, 2026
10:52
Laparoscopic Repair of Para-Esophageal Hernia Using Absorbable Biosynthetic Mesh
Published on: September 11, 2021
Laparoscopic versus open ventral hernia repairs: 5 year recurrence rates
Naveen Ballem1, Rikesh Parikh, Eren Berber
1Department of Surgery, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Crile A-80, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA. nballem@hotmail.com
Surgical Endoscopy
|June 6, 2008
Summary
Longer-term follow-up reveals similar 5-year recurrence rates for laparoscopic and open ventral hernia repairs, challenging previous findings. Larger defects were associated with higher recurrence, particularly in open suture repairs.
Area of Science:
- General Surgery
- Minimally Invasive Surgery
- Hernia Repair
Background:
- Previous studies with 2-3 year follow-up suggest laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LVHR) offers lower recurrence rates and fewer complications compared to open repair.
- Limited data exists on the long-term outcomes (beyond 3 years) of LVHR versus open ventral hernia repair.
- This study aims to compare 5-year recurrence rates and identify factors influencing recurrence in laparoscopic versus open ventral hernia repair techniques.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the 5-year actual recurrence rates of laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LAP) versus open hernia repair (O-M, O-S, LCO).
- To identify patient and surgical factors associated with hernia recurrence after 5 years.
- To provide longer-term data on hernia repair outcomes, extending beyond the typical 2-3 year follow-up.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 331 ventral hernia repairs performed between January 1996 and December 2001.
- Patient follow-up for a minimum of 5 years (median 7.5 years).
- Statistical analysis using Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models to compare recurrence rates and identify influencing factors.
Main Results:
- Actual 5-year recurrence rates were: LAP (29%), O-M (28%), O-S (19%), and LCO (60%).
- Larger hernia defect size was significantly associated with higher recurrence rates (p < 0.02), especially in the open suture repair (O-S) group.
- Surgical technique (except for laparoscopic converted to open - LCO) did not predict recurrence, nor did BMI, diabetes, or smoking status.
Conclusions:
- This study provides the first 5-year comparison of actual recurrence rates between laparoscopic and open ventral hernia repairs.
- Contrary to shorter-term studies, longer-term data (5 years) indicates similar recurrence rates between LAP and O-M repairs, with O-S showing lower rates.
- Higher recurrence rates in the LCO group suggest potential challenges with conversion procedures. Longer follow-up is crucial for understanding true recurrence rates.
