Background and objectives: Robot-assisted hernia repair, combined with endoscopic component separation, has reduced recurrence and complication rates and allowed immediate intervention in obese patients. We sought to study surgical outcomes in this high-risk group of patients in a community hospital.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of ventral, incisional, and umbilical hernia repairs performed at a small community hospital by a single surgeon from March 2014 through November 2016, with statistical analysis of the surgical outcomes. Patients included were those who underwent hernia repair during the study period and had a body mass index (BMI) >30. Patients were followed up for a minimum of 6 months (range, 6-37).
Results: Forty-seven hernia repairs were performed, including 33 combined and 14 control cases. The demographics of each group were comparable when comparing sex, age, BMI, and ASA classification. Mean follow-up was 19.39 months in the study group and 28.64 months in the control group. There were no significant differences in total operative time, estimated blood loss, conversion rates, or hospital length of stay. Two complications occurred in each of the study and control groups, with no recurrences in the study group and 3 in the control group and no mortalities.
Conclusion: Robotic laparoscopic repair of abdominal wall defects offers significant advantages, including easier primary defect closure. Our analyses showed that combining robot-assisted hernia repair with mesh and endoscopic component separation is an effective intervention in obese patients.
Keywords: Incisional hernia; Obesity; Robotic general surgery; Ventral hernia; da Vinci S.