Preoperative computed tomography for acutely incarcerated ventral or inguinal hernia

Area of Science:

• Abdominal surgery
• Radiology
• Hernia repair

Background:

• The diagnostic utility of preoperative computed tomography (CT) for urgent abdominal wall hernia repair remains uncertain.
• This study investigated whether CT imaging impacts patient outcomes compared to clinical assessment alone for acute ventral or inguinal hernias.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if preoperative computed tomography (CT) influences patient outcomes in urgent abdominal wall hernia repair.
• To compare outcomes between patients who underwent urgent hernia repair with and without preoperative CT.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective cohort analysis of 270 adult patients undergoing urgent ventral or inguinal hernia repair.
• Comparison of demographics, risk factors, operative strategies, and 1-year outcomes between groups with and without preoperative CT.

Main Results:

• The CT group experienced a longer admission-to-incision interval (11.2 vs 6.6 hours).
• No significant differences were observed in surgery duration, mesh type, or 1-year outcomes (surgical site infection, recurrence, reoperation, mortality).
• Patient demographics and risk factors were similar between the CT and no-CT groups.

Conclusions:

• Preoperative CT for urgent hernia repair is associated with delays in surgical intervention.
• The use of preoperative CT did not confer any advantages regarding mesh selection or 1-year patient outcomes.
• Urgent repair of acutely incarcerated ventral or inguinal hernias can be safely performed based on clinical assessment alone.