THE LOW RISK OF HERNIA RECURRENCE FROM POST
VENTRAL HERNIORRHAPHY PREGNANCY
Joel R. Gorman, MD
Dept. of Gen. Surgery, Atidim Medical Center
abwall.gorman@gmail.com
INTRODUCTION: This study addresses the issue of longterm hernia recurrence in a series of 88 women with 200 pregnancies following ventral herniorrhaphy ) VH)
METHODS: The patient cohort consisted of an unselected consecutive series of 88 women who had at least one pregnancy following VH.
The VH had all been repaired by nonmesh nylon loop darns (a modified ‘Abrahamson Shoelace’ darn, or a ‘multilayer onlay’ darn).
Followup to determine hernia recurrence after pregnancy was done by routine postpartum examination by a gynecologist and at the conclusion of the study by the author. For followup the 88 women were grouped by type of hernia originally repaired: primary umbilical herniorrhaphy (UH) or low abdominal wall incisional herniorrhaphy (IH).
RESULTS: The mean 100% followup after the first post-UH pregnancy was 7.0 years (range: 0.5 to 16.4 years)
CONCLUSION:
The low risk of hernia recurrence per spontaneously delivered pregnancy following UH or IH should encourage allowing pregnancy after ventral herniorrhaphy. For patients contemplating
a future cesarian section through a previous low abdominal IH, the less than one in three risk of
a new incisional hernia per cesarian may be acceptable.
