Ursula Dahlstrand

Emergency Femoral Hernia Repair : A Study Based on a National Register

Objective:To describe the characteristics of femoral hernias and outcome of femoral repairs, with special emphasis on emergency operations. Background:Femoral hernias account for 2% to 4% of all groin hernias. However, the lack of large-scale studies has made it impossible to draw conclusions regarding the best management of these hernias. Methods:The study is based on patients 15 years or older who underwent groin hernia repair 1992 to 2006 at units participating in the Swedish Hernia Register. Results:Three thousand nine hundred eighty femoral hernia repairs were registered, 1490 on men and 2490 on women: 1430 (35.9%) patients underwent emergency surgery compared with 4.9% of the 138,309 patients with inguinal hernias. Bowel resection was performed in 22.7% (325) of emergent femoral repairs and 5.4% (363) of emergent inguinal repairs. Women had a substantial over risk for undergoing emergency femoral surgery compared with men (40.6% vs. 28.1%). An emergency femoral hernia operation was associated with a 10-fold increased mortality risk, whereas the risk for an elective repair did not exceed that of the general population. In elective femoral hernias, laparoscopic (hazard ratio, 0.31; 95% confidence interval, 0.15–0.67) and open preperitoneal mesh (hazard ratio, 0.28; confidence interval, 0.12–0.65) techniques resulted in fewer re-operations than suture repairs. Conclusions:Femoral hernias are more common in women and lead to a substantial over risk for an emergency operation, and consequently, a higher rate of bowel resection and mortality. Femoral hernias should be operated with high priority to avoid incarceration and be repaired with a mesh.

Chronic Pain After Femoral Hernia Repair : A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective:To explore the prevalence of and to identify possible risk factors for chronic pain after surgery for femoral hernia. Background:Chronic pain has become a very important outcome in quality assessment of inguinal hernia surgery. There are no studies on the risk for chronic pain after femoral hernia surgery. Methods:The Inguinal Pain Questionnaire was sent to 1967 patients who had had a repair for primary unilateral femoral hernia between January 1, 1997 and December 31, 2006. A follow-up period of at least 18 months was chosen. Answers from 1461 patients were matched with data recorded in the Swedish Hernia Register and analyzed. Results:Some degree of pain during the previous week was reported by 24.2% (354) of patients. Pain interfered with daily activities in 5.5% (81) of patients. Emergency surgery (OR = 0.54; 95% CI = 0.40–0.74) and longer time since surgery (OR = 0.93; 95% CI = 0.89–0.98 for each year added) were associated with lower risk for chronic postoperative pain, whereas a high level of preoperative pain was associated with a higher risk for chronic pain (OR = 1.17; 95% CI = 1.10–1.25). Surgical technique was not found to influence the risk for chronic pain in multivariate logistic regression analysis. Conclusions:Chronic postoperative pain is as important a complication after femoral hernia surgery as it is after inguinal hernia surgery. In contrast to inguinal hernia surgery, no risk factor related to surgical technique was found. Further investigations into the role of preoperative pain are necessary.

Fractures of self-expanding metallic stents in periampullary malignant biliary obstruction

Background: Self-expanding metallic stents are widely used for relieving biliary duct obstruction in patients with unresectable periampullary malignancies. However, only a few studies have assessed the occurrence of fractures in these stents. Purpose: To determine the prevalence and significance of stent fracture after placement of self-expanding metallic stents for periampullary malignant biliary obstruction. Material and Methods: Over a 5-year period, 48 patients underwent placement of self-expanding metallic stents for periampullary malignant biliary obstructions. Stents were introduced 2–6 weeks after a percutaneous transhepatic biliary decompression. The medical records and relevant images were reviewed for stent patency, stent fracture, type of stent, and stent-related complications. Results: Stent fracture was detected in four of the 48 patients (8%): in one patient at 1 month and in three patients between 10 and 21 months after stenting. All four fractures involved one type of nitinol stent used in 38 patients. In one of the patients, fracture was complicated by life-threatening gastrointestinal bleeding. The mean survival time for all patients was 251 days (standard deviation [SD]±275 days) and the mean overall patency time for all stents was 187 days (SD±205 days). Conclusion: Stent fracture occurs after placement of self-expanding nitinol stents for periampullary malignant biliary obstruction. The low reported incidence of this complication may be due to a lack of awareness of and difficulty in detecting stent fracture. Fracture should be considered as a possible contributing factor in recurrent biliary obstruction after self-expanding metallic stent insertion.

Less Pain 1 Year After Total Extra-peritoneal Repair Compared With Lichtenstein Using Local Anesthesia: Data From a Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

Objective:The aim was to compare long-term postoperative pain after inguinal hernia surgery using 2 techniques that have shown favorable long-term outcome in previous randomized studies: Lichtenstein using local anesthesia (LLA) and endoscopic total extra-peritoneal repair (TEP) under general anesthesia. Background:Patients often experience pain after inguinal hernia surgery. These 2 methods in their optimal state have not yet been sufficiently compared. Methods:A randomized controlled trial was conducted to detect any difference in long-term postoperative inguinal pain. Altogether 384 patients were randomized and operated using either TEP under general anesthesia (n = 193) or LLA (n = 191). One year postoperatively, patients were examined by an independent surgeon and requested to complete the Inguinal Pain Questionnaire (IPQ), a validated questionnaire for the assessment of postoperative inguinal pain. Results:Three hundred seventy-five (97.7%) patients completed follow-up at 1 year. In the TEP group, 39 (20.7%) patients experienced pain, compared with 62 (33.2%) patients in the LLA group (P = 0.007). Severe pain was reported by 4 patients in the TEP group and 6 patients in the LLA group (2.1% and 3.2%, respectively, P = 0.543). Pain in the operated groin limited the ability to exercise for 5 TEP patients and 14 LLA patients (2.7% and 7.5%, respectively, P = 0.034). Conclusions:Patients operated with TEP experienced less long-term postoperative pain and less limitation in their ability to exercise than those operated with LLA. The present data justify recommending TEP as the procedure of choice in the surgical treatment of primary inguinal hernia.

Creating an environment for patient safety and teamwork training in the operating theatre: A quasi-experimental study

Abstract Introduction: Positive safety and a teamwork climate in the training environment may be a precursor for successful teamwork training. This pilot project aimed to implement and test whether a new interdisciplinary and team-based approach would result in a positive training climate in the operating theatre. Method: A 3-day educational module for training the complete surgical team of specialist nursing students and residents in safe teamwork skills in an authentic operative theatre, named Co-Op, was implemented in a university hospital. Participants’ (n = 22) perceptions of the ‘safety climate’ and the ‘teamwork climate’, together with their ‘readiness for inter-professional learning’, were measured to examine if the Co-Op module produced a positive training environment compared with the perceptions of a control group (n = 11) attending the conventional curriculum. Results: The participants’ perceptions of ‘safety climate’ and ‘teamwork climate’ and their ‘readiness for inter-professional learning’ scores were significantly higher following the Co-Op module compared with their perceptions following the conventional curriculum, and compared with the control group’s perceptions following the conventional curriculum. Conclusion: The Co-Op module improved ‘safety climate’ and ‘teamwork climate’ in the operating theatre, which suggests that a deliberate and designed educational intervention can shape a learning environment as a model for the establishment of a safety culture.

Correlation between Abdominal Rectus Diastasis Width and Abdominal Muscle Strength

Background: Surgery for Abdominal Rectus Diastasis (ARD) is a controversial topic and some argue that it is solely an aesthetic problem. Many symptoms in these patients are indefinite, and no objective criteria have been established, indicating which patients are likely to benefit from surgery. This study investigated the correlation between preoperative assessment and intraoperative measurement of ARD width, and objective measurements of muscle strength. Methods: 57 patients undergoing surgery for ARD underwent preoperative assessment of ARD width by clinical measurement and CT scan, and thereafter intraoperative measurement. Abdominal muscle strength was investigated using the Biodex System 4 including flexion, extension and isometric measurements. Correlations were calculated by the Spearman test. Results: Intraoperative ARD width between the umbilicus and the symphysis correlated strongly with Biodex measurements during flexion (p = 0.007, R = -0.35) and isometric work load (p = 0.01, R = -0.34). The following measurements showed no correlation: between muscle strength and BMI; muscle strength and waistline; or between muscle strength and ARD width above the umbilicus, assessed preoperatively at the outpatient clinic, by CT scan, or measured intraoperatively. Conclusion: There is a strong correlation between intraoperatively measured ARD width below the umbilicus and flexion and isometric abdominal muscle strength measured with the Biodex System 4.

Impact of postoperative complications on the risk for chronic groin pain after open inguinal hernia repair

BACKGROUND Chronic pain is common after inguinal hernia repair and has become one of the most important outcome measures for this procedure. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not there is a relationship between specific postoperative complications and risk for chronic pain after open inguinal hernia repair. METHODS A prospective cohort study was designed in which participants responded to the Inguinal Pain Questionnaire regarding postoperative groin pain 8 years after inguinal hernia repair. Responses to the questionnaire were matched with data from a previous study regarding reported postoperative complications after open inguinal hernia repair. Participants were recruited originally from the Swedish Hernia Register. Response rate was 82.4% (952/1,155). The primary outcome was chronic pain in the operated groin at follow‐up. Grading of pain was performed using the Inguinal Pain Questionnaire. RESULTS A total of 170 patients (17.9%) reported groin pain and 29 patients (3.0%) reported severe groin pain. The risk for developing chronic groin pain was greater in patients with severe pain in the preoperative or immediate postoperative period (odds ratio 2.09; 95% confidence interval 1.28–3.41). Risk for chronic pain decreased for every 1‐year increase in age at the time of operation (odds ratio 0.99, 95% confidence interval 0.98–1.00). CONCLUSION Both preoperative pain and pain in the immediate postoperative period are strong risk factors for chronic groin pain. Risk factor patterns should be considered before operative repair of presumed symptomatic inguinal hernias. The problem of postoperative pain must be addressed regarding both pre‐emptive and postoperative analgesia.

Mesh fixation in endoscopic inguinal hernia repair: evaluation of methodology based on a systematic review of randomised clinical trials

BackgroundThe issue of mesh fixation in endoscopic inguinal hernia repair is frequently debated and still no conclusive data exist on differences between methods regarding long-term outcome and postoperative complications. The quantity of trials and the simultaneous lack of high-quality evidence raise the question how future trials should be planned.MethodsPubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library were searched, using the filters “randomised clinical trials” and “humans”. Trials that compared one method of mesh fixation with another fixation method or with non-fixation in endoscopic inguinal hernia repair were eligible. To be included, the trial was required to have assessed at least one of the following primary outcome parameters: recurrence; surgical site infection; chronic pain; or quality-of-life.ResultsFourteen trials assessing 2161 patients and 2562 hernia repairs were included. Only two trials were rated as low risk for bias. Eight trials evaluated recurrence or surgical site infection; none of these could show significant differences between methods of fixation. Two of 11 trials assessing chronic pain described significant differences between methods of fixation. One of two trials evaluating quality-of-life showed significant differences between fixation methods in certain functions.ConclusionHigh-quality evidence for differences between the assessed mesh fixation techniques is still lacking. From a socioeconomic and ethical point of view, it is necessary that future trials will be properly designed. As small- and medium-sized single-centre trials have proven unable to find answers, register studies or multi-centre studies with an evident focus on methodology and study design are needed in order to answer questions about mesh fixation in inguinal hernia repair.

Risk Factors for Surgical Complications in Ventral Hernia Repair

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to identify risk factors for an adverse event, i.e. early surgical complication, need for ICU care and readmission, following ventral hernia repair. Our hypothesis was that there is an association between an increased complication rate following ventral hernia repair and specific factors, including hernia size, BMI > 35, concomitant bowel surgery, ASA-class, age, gender and method of hernia repair.MethodsData from a hernia database with prospectively entered data on 408 patients operated for ventral hernia between 2007 and 2014 at two Swedish university hospitals were analysed. A 3-month follow-up of complications, need for intensive care and readmission, was performed by reviewing the medical records.ResultsEighty-one of 408 patients (20%) had a registered complication. Fifty-eight (14%) of these were classed as Clavien I–IIIa, and in 19 cases a Clavien IIIb–IV complication was reported. Large hernia size was associated with increased risk for early complication. A Kendall Tau test analysis revealed a proportional relationship between hernia size and modified Clavien outcome class (p < 0.001). Morbid obesity, ASA-class, method, hernia recurrence, age and concomitant bowel surgery were not statistically significant predictors of adverse events.ConclusionsAssessment of hernia aperture size is of great importance in the preoperative evaluation of ventral hernia patients to consider risk for post-operative complications. These results suggest a careful attitude when applying watchful waiting concepts and when postponing hernia surgery to achieve weight loss. A delaying attitude may result in increased risk of complications caused by increasing hernia size.