Abstract:
Background After receiving a living donor liver transplant
(LDLT), an incisional hernia is a potentially serious
complication that can affect the patient’s quality of life. In
the present study we evaluated surgical hernia repair after
LDLT.
Materials and methods Medical records of patients who
underwent surgery to repair an incisional hernia after
LDLT in Turgut Ozal Medical Center between October
2006 and January 2010 were evaluated in this retrospective
study. A reverse-T incision was made for liver transplantation.
The hernias were repaired with onlay polypropylene
mesh. Age, gender, post-transplant relaparatomy, the type,
the result of surgery for the incisional hernia, and risk
factors for developing incisional hernia were evaluated.
Results An incisional hernia developed in 44 of 173
(25.4 %) patients after LDLT. Incisional hernia repair was
performed in 14 of 173 patients (8.1 %) who underwent
LDLT from October 2006 to January 2010. Relaparatomy
was associated with incisional hernia (p = 0.0002). The
mean age at the time of the incisional hernia repair was
51 years, and 79 % of the patients were men. The median
follow-up period was 19.2 (13–36) months after the hernia
repair. Three patients with intestinal incarceration underwent
emergency surgery to repair the hernia. Partial small
bowel resection was required in one patient. Postoperative
complications included seroma formation in one patient
and wound infection in another. There was no recurrence of
hernia during the follow-up period.Conclusions The incidence of incisional hernia after
LDLT was 25.4 % in this study. Relaparatomy increases
the probability of developing incisional hernia in recipients
of LDLT. According to the results of the study, repair of an
incisional hernia with onlay mesh is a suitable option.
