Outcomes of Combined Hernia Repair and Peritoneal Dialysis Catheter Placement: A NSQIP Analysis

Historically, hernias were repaired before peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheter placement to obviate hernia complications, or after PD catheter placement once hernias became symptomatic or complicated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes and safety of combined hernia repair and PD catheter placement (HPD) compared with PD catheter placement alone. Within the NSQIP databases (2005-2014), 4406 patients who underwent PD catheter placement alone and 330 patients who underwent HPD were identified. Thirty-day outcomes were compared. Overall, HPD patients were older (61 vs 57 years, P < 0.001), male (72.4% vs 56.1%, P < 0.001), and more likely to have ascites (3.6% vs 1.0%, P < 0.001). Umbilical hernias (87.9%) were most commonly repaired. There was no significant difference in mortality, morbidity, superficial surgical site infection, deep SSI, organ/space SSI, readmission, or reoperation rates. HPD was associated with shorter length of stay (1.1 vs 1.7 days, P = 0.010) and longer mean operative time (66.1 vs 43.7 minutes, P < 0.001). On multivariate analyses, HPD was not an independent predictor of morbidity or mortality. In conclusion, HPD can be safely performed to prevent future complications and additional operations.