Techniques of Concomitant Abdominoplasty and Umbilical Hernia Repair: A Review

Background: Different methods of performing full abdominoplasty and umbilical hernia (UH) repair simultaneously have been proposed.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to review and compare UH repair outcomes and umbilical stalk survival.

Methods: A literature research was performed through 28 December 2019. Other hernia repairs and mini-abdominoplasty (without umbilical transposition) were excluded. The primary outcomes analyzed were rates of UH recurrence, mesh infection, and umbilical necrosis.

Results: Six studies were included (5 retrospectives series, 1 case report). Hernia was repaired by an open approach (3 studies, 28 patients) or a laparoscopic approach (3 studies, 67 patients). UH repair consisted of mesh placement in the intraperitoneal or retromuscular/preperitoneal plane, or suture technique in the intraperitoneal plane. No hernia recurrence, mesh infection, or umbilical necrosis was described.

Conclusions: Both open and laparoscopic approaches to simultaneous abdominoplasty and UH repair seem to be safe based on the rates of umbilical stalk vascularization, hernia recurrence, and mesh infection. However, more well-designed studies are needed to prove this hypothesis.