Researchers studied 332 military veteran patients who underwent umbilical hernia repair between Jan. 1, 1998, and Dec. 31, 2008, at the VA Boston Healthcare System. They tracked recurrence and mortality outcomes from that period until June 1, 2014. They included all patients with primary umbilical hernia repair, with or without a concurrent unrelated procedure.
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Here are five insights:
1. The hernia recurrence rate was 6 percent at a mean 3.1 years after index repair.
2. The primary suture repair recurrence rate was 9.8 percent, and the mesh repair recurrence rate was 2.4 percent.
3. Researchers found that ascites, liver disease, diabetes, obesity and primary suture repair without mesh are associated with increased umbilical hernia recurrence rates.
4. Patients who had a history of hernias were less likely to have umbilical hernia recurrences.
5. There was no significant difference in complication rates between mesh repair and primary suture repair.
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