Laparoscopic component separation reduces postoperative wound complications but does not alter recurrence rates in complex hernia repairs.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the incidence of wound complications after laparoscopic component separation (LCS) vs open component separation (OCS) in patients with complex abdominal wall hernias.

METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of all patients who underwent LCS or OCS for repair of a complex abdominal wall hernia at a single institution between 2009 and 2011. Charts were reviewed to identify postoperative wound complications. A computed tomographic scan or physical examination was used for the determination of hernia recurrence. Categoric variables were compared using the Fisher exact test. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using linear and Cox regression. Recurrence rates were compared using log-rank tests (Kaplan-Meier method).

RESULTS: A total of 44 patients underwent LCS (n = 18) or OCS (n = 26). There was no statistically significant difference between categoric variables. Multivariate analysis using wound complications as the dependent variable showed a statistically significantly lower rate of wound complications in the LCS group.

CONCLUSIONS: LCS is associated with a lower rate of wound complications when compared with OCS but yields comparable recurrence rates.