Ring closure outcome for laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (IPOM plus) in medium and large defects. Long-term...

Despite advances in laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LVHR) with the Intra-peritoneal onlay mesh technique (IPOM), recurrence continues to be a frequent postoperative complication. The aim of this study is to analyze the long-term recurrence rate in two series, by incorporating in IPOM technique the laparoscopic closure of the defect (IPOM plus). We also want to determine the ring size cut-off point from which the recurrence risk increases in IPOM technique and determine if the cut-off point is modified with IPOM plus technique.

A comparative retrospective study was conducted analyzing patients who underwent LVHR. They were divided into 2 groups according to the surgical technique used: IPOM or IPOM plus. We determined in each group the cut-off point where the ring size presents a greater recurrence risk by calculating the better point of sensitivity/specificity relationship of the ROC curve.

Between 2007 and 2018, 286 patients underwent LVHR. The ROC curve for IPOM technique has shown a cut-off point of higher recurrence risk for rings larger than 63 cm². While the ROC curve in IPOM plus group showed an increase in the cut-off point, with a higher recurrence risk in rings > 168 cm². Overall median ring size was 30 cm² (range 4-225; IQR 16-61). However, when comparing the ring size between techniques we found a relatively larger size in IPOM plus (p: 0.013). The recurrence rate in the IPOM group was 19.51% while in the IPOM plus group was 3.57% (p: 0.005).

For standard LVHR with IPOM technique, the greatest recurrence risk occurs in rings larger than 63 cm². The addition of ring closure (IPOM plus) was associated with a recurrence risk reduction, which occurs in rings larger than 168 cm². These findings would allow expanding the indication for LVHR, using the IPOM plus technique.