Giant Ventral Incisional Hernia: Abdominal Wall Function, Respiratory Performance and Quality of Life

One of five patients undergoing open abdominal surgery develops an abdominal wall defect (incisional hernia) as a late complication. A fraction of these are \"giant\" hernia with a fascial defect beyond 10 cm. These patients are physically severely impaired, and surgical treatment is complex. Correction of giant incisional hernias including a relatively new and minimally invasive technique, (endoscopic components separation) offers promising results. This procedure allows the abdominal muscles to be joined centrally restoring the integrity of the abdominal wall. The treatment of patients with giant hernia is now centralized at Bispebjerg Hospital allowing for a joint study between surgeons, pulmonologists, and sports medicine researchers to define the functional and biophysical outcome from hernia repair. We hypothesize that the abdominal muscle function is significantly optimized after restoration of the abdominal wall using this technique, and that muscular function is crucial for the postoperative quality of life. Moreover, we want to assess whether this operation specifically optimizes the function and protein synthesis of the abdominal wall muscles, and exerts a beneficial effect on lung function. Finally, we will investigate if the patients with giant incisional hernia may be identified by an altered composition of their connective tissue as compared with patients who do not develop incisional hernia. This is a prospective study of two patient groups: 1) Patients with a giant incisional hernia and 2) controls undergoing open surgery on other indications. Assessment is done pre- and perioperatively and after 1 year including muscular function, lung function, abdominal wall anatomy as provided by CT-scan, and quality of life. Specified biopsies from muscles and connective tissue are examined for muscle fiber size/type and structure by various methods, including electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Lung function is monitored by blood gas concentrations, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Assessment Test questionnaire, and regular spirometry analyses. The studies are carried out by Ph.D. student Kristian Kiim Jensen, and supervised by professor in surgery Lars Nannestad Jørgensen, professor in sports medicine Michael Kjær and professor in pulmonary medicine Vibeke Backer.