Common complications of laparotomy
Incisional hernia is a common complication to open abdominal surgery.

Annual open abdominal procedures 1 2
Million in Western Europe / year
Million in the US / year
- 1.Incisional Hernia Prevention | Medtronic (UK)
- 2.Deerenberg EB, Harlaar JJ, Steyerberg EW, Lont HE, van Doorn HC, Heisterkamp J, et al. Small bites versus large bites for closure of abdominal midline incisions (STITCH): a double-blind, multicentre, randomised controlled trial. The Lancet. 2015;386(10000):1254-60.
Common complications
Surgical site infections
Burst abdomen
Insicional hernia
Incisional hernia incidence 3 4 5
15-20%
up to 40% In high risk groups
- 3 Söderbäck H, Gunnarsson U, Hellman P, Sandblom G. Incisional hernia after surgery for colorectal cancer: a
population-based register study. Int J Colorectal Dis. 2018 Oct;33(10):1411-1417 - 4 Sanders DL, Kingsnorth AN. The modern management of IHs. BMJ 2012; 344:e2843.
- 5 Barranquero AG, Molina JM, Gonzalez-Hidalgo C, Porrero B, Blázquez LA, Ocaña J, Gandarias Zúñiga C, Fernández Cebrián JM. Incidence and risk factors for incisional hernia after open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. Cir Esp (Engl Ed). 2022 Nov;100(11):684-690. doi: 10.1016/j.cireng.2022.08.023. PMID: 36270702.
Patient risk factors 6 7 8
- 6.Bosanquet DC, Ansell J, Abdelrahman T, Cornish J, Harries R, Stimpson A et al. Systematic review and
meta-regression of factors affecting midline incisional hernia rates: analysis of 14 618 patients. PLoS One 2015;10:e0138745 - 7.Hoer J, Lawong G, Klinge U, Schumpelick V. [Factors influencing the development of incisional hernia. A retrospective study of 2983 laparotomy patients over a period of 10 years.] Chirurg 2002;73:474–480
- 8.Itatsu K, Yokoyama Y, Sugawara G et al. Incidence of and risk factors for IH after abdominal surgery. Br J Surg 2014; 101: 1439–1447.
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