Publication:

A study of venous thromboembolic complications following laparoscopic mesh hernioplasty for midline ventral hernias

Background Midline ventral hernia is a common complication of abdominal surgeries. Laparoscopic mesh hernioplasty is novel method of hernia repair but has many complications. Venous thromboembolic complications are one of them.

Methods A prospective observational study in patients with midline ventral hernia was carried out. Based on the size of defect patients were divided into two groups (consisting 60 patients each). Group A with hernia defect size of less than 6cm and group B with more than 6 cm. Group A patients underwent intraperitoneal onlay mesh plus repair and group B patients underwent endoscopic components separation technique with intraperitoneal onlay mesh repair. Each patient was followed up at day 5 and day 30 postoperatively and Well’s score was calculated. The patients with ‘Likely’ score were taken for Doppler ultrasonography. The patients with ‘Unlikely’ score were further evaluated with D-Dimer study. Patients with raised value of D-Dimer were taken for Doppler ultrasonography.

Results Well’s score on post-operative day 1 and 5 did not show any statistical significance between both groups (p<0.05). D-dimer done in Unlikely score showed no statistical significance. In all the patients with Likely score and raised D-dimer, no abnormality was detected on sonography.

Conclusions Performing Wells score preoperatively and postoperatively one can get an idea about the risks of development of thromboembolic events.