Laparoscopic or Robotically Assisted Colectomy with a Pfannenstiel Incision Reduces the Incisional Hernia Incidence

Abstract

Objectives: The present study examined the incidence of incisional hernia by comparing patients from whom a specimen was extracted either through a Pfannenstiel incision (PI) with an intracorporeal anastomosis or via a midline incision (MI) with an extracorporeal anastomosis. Methods: The records of 370 consecutive patients who underwent a laparoscopic or robotically-assisted colectomy were retrospectively analyzed. Regardless of the clinical symptoms, incisional hernia was objectively diagnosed based on abdominal computed tomography findings. The surgical outcomes and incisional hernia incidence were retrospectively compared between the groups. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to balance background differences between the groups. Results: Eighty-seven and 283 patients were in the PI group and MI group, respectively. After PSM, 71 patients were selected from each group. The median observation time was 572 and 1110 days in the PI and MI group, respectively. The PI group had no incidence of incisional hernia whereas the MI group had a 14% incidence, demonstrating that the former had significantly fewer incisional hernias (p=0.0014). The median interval from surgery to incisional hernia development was 295 days. The PI with an intracorporeal anastomosis was not associated with an increased complication rate. Conclusions: The PI was preferable for intraoperative specimen extraction owing to the low, associated incidence of incisional hernia.