Active clinical trials for "Hernia"

The rate of success 12 months after surgery is reported to be 60-65% in patients with lumbar disc herniation and 60-70% in patients with spinal stenosis. At the Back Center Copenhagen, patients with persistent low back pain caused by lumbar disc herniation and spinal stenosis are treated by a multidisciplinary team comprising rheumatologists, physiotherapists, chiropractors, and social workers according to current guidelines. Therefore we have a unique opportunity to report the long term outcome in candidates for surgery, regardless of whether they have surgery or not, after having received optimal but unsuccessful nonsurgical treatment. The purpose of this study is to answer the following questions: 1) What is the proportion of patients operated upon after referral to surgical evaluation with positive MRI findings, persistent low back pain, and poor outcome following non-operative treatment? 2) What was the outcome in these patients 2 years following referral? 3) Where any baseline variables predictive of good or poor postsurgical outcome? 4) Where there any difference in outcome in patients with or without surgery?

background Operation for small umbilical hernias is one of the most common surgical procedures, but the best surgical technique, including the choice of suture or mesh remains unknown. It is well known that using non-absorbable sutures in closure of the abdomen, diminishes the risk of incisional hernias and wound healing problems.It has also been found that the use of resorbable suture in fixation of the mesh in Lichtesteins procedure leads to greater risk of recurrence of the hernia. Furthermore, it has been stated in smaller studies, that the use of the mesh in open operation for a small umbilical hernia has lower risk of recurrence (approx. 1-3%) than sutured repair (10-12 %). However, the scientific literature is deficient, with few patients. The purpose of this study is to describe reoperation rate of recurrence after small umbilical hernias, depending on choice of sutures in both regular repair and in mesh repair. Hypothesis: sutured repair with non-absorbable suture has lower recurrence rates than with other types of sutures, whereas mesh repair has even lower recurrence rates in small umbilical hernia repairs.

Background Mesh repair reduces the risk of reoperation for recurrence in patients with small umbilical and epigastric hernias compared with sutured repair. However, reoperation for recurrence underestimates total recurrence (reoperation or clinical) and mesh reinforcement may induce chronic pain. This study investigated the cumulated risk of recurrence after open mesh and sutured repair in small (≤2 cm) umbilical and epigastric hernias. Possible risk factors were evaluated for chronic pain and recurrence. Methods A cohort study with questionnaire-follow-up was conducted. Patients with primary, elective, open mesh or sutured repair for a small umbilical or epigastric hernia (≤2 cm) were included. Follow-up was performed by a validated questionnaire regarding suspicion of recurrence and chronic pain (moderate or severe). Suspected recurrence qualified for clinical examination. Recurrence was defined as reoperation for recurrence or clinical recurrence. Risk factors for recurrence and chronic pain were investigated by multivariate analyses. Results 1 313 patients completed the questionnaire and/or clinical follow-up (83 % response rate) and follow-up time was median 40 months (range 0-66 months). The total cumulated recurrence rate 55 months after primary repair was 10 % for mesh repair and 21 % for sutured repair (P=0.001). The incidence of chronic pain was 6 % after mesh repair and 5 % after sutured repair (P = 0.711). Recurrence was the only independent risk factor for chronic pain (P<0.001). Conclusion Mesh repair halved the long-term risk of recurrence after repair for small umbilical and epigastric hernias without increased risk of chronic pain.

Prolapse of the uterus, bladder and rectum is a common condition in multiparous and/or elderly women. The number of operations for vaginal repair is increasing in Denmark, but there is no consensus or evidence found about the efficiency of prophylactic antibiotics intraoperatively concerning postoperative infections. The objective of this randomized, controlled trial is to investigate the significance of prophylactic antibiotic treatment in vaginal repair operations.

The aim of this study is the visualization of the mesh surface and the confirmation with MRI scan at 1 month and 13 months after standardized retromuscular incisional hernia repair with the visible CICAT mesh (Dynamesh®).

Inguinal hernia repair may be done by the nylon darn, polypropylene mesh and other methods. Polypropylene mesh is established in the literature as the standard of care for inguinal hernia repair. It is however expensive and not readily available in our community hospitals. Nylon darn repair is widely used in our hospitals. We think that the quality of life following nylon darn repair and polypropylene mesh repair is similar. In order to find out, we are recruiting 79 patients to undergo nylon darn repair for their inguinal hernia and another 79 patients to undergo polypropylene mesh repair for their inguinal hernia repair. We are doing research to compare the quality of life after nylon darn repair of inguinal hernia to polypropylene mesh repair in patients aged 18 years to 80 years who come to St. Luke Hospital for their first-ever inguinal hernia repair.

Incisional hernia is the most frequently seen long term complication in surgery causing much morbidity and even mortality in patients. Despite studies on the optimal closing technique for laparotomies, the risk for incisional hernia after midline incision remains about 5-20%. It has been established that implementing a mesh reduces recurrence of the incisional hernia but still the results of repair are often disappointing. Incisional hernias can become increasingly complex due to complicated abdominal wall defects caused by a disturbed anatomy, fistulas, burst abdomen, wound and mesh infections. In these cases it is not save to repair the incisional hernia by means of a synthetic mesh and other augmentation tools need to be implemented. In the recent years the use of biological meshes has been gaining popularity. Recent reports of the use of collagen-based prosthesis have suggested that they support new vessel growth, do not excite a significant foreign body reaction, form fewer adhesions, are well incorporated into host tissues with minimal wound contraction, and can be used in grossly contaminated wounds with fewer infective complications. Biologic meshes are harvested from a source tissue and processed for medical use but they vary widely in their processing methods. They include tissues of human or animal origins, both chemically cross-linked and non cross-linked processes, and submucosal, pericardial, or dermal tissue sources. Current studies investigating the effectiveness of these meshes are small and have short periods of follow-up. These shortcomings can be explained to high cost of the meshes and unclear indication when to use a biological mesh. The aim of this study is to investigate the short and long term effects of the Strattice biological mesh. The investigators will also inquire why a biologic mesh was used and what the direct and indirect costs were.

Recent studies have focused on the role of endogenous opioids on central sensitization. Central sensitization is known to be impaired or altered in chronic pain conditions, as fibromyalgia or chronic tension headache. Animal studies have shown reinstatement of mechanical hypersensitivity following naloxone administration after resolution of an injury. This suggests latent sensitization. In the present study, investigators hypothesize that a high-dose target-controlled naloxone infusion (total dose: 3.25 mg/kg) can reinstate pain and hyperalgesia 6-8 weeks after a unilateral primary open groin hernia repair procedure. Investigators aim to show that latent sensitization is present in humans and is modulated by endogenous opioids.

The notable development and diffusion of prosthetic surgery of the abdominal wall over the last few years has led to the introduction of light weight meshes. The efficacy of inguinal hernia repair with light weight prosthesis, as well as the better or worse biotolerability with respect to those of light weight, remains questionable in literature, where a clear answer still remains to be given. If there exists a connection between the quantity of material implanted, the immunological reaction to the mesh, the induced oxidative stress and the degree of cicatrization, and consequently the long-term result of the efficacy of the operation, remains to be demonstrated. There are few studies on the immunological reaction to polypropylene meshes, and none on the oxidative stress induced by the mesh. Moreover, only one study has been published that clearly correlates the immunological reaction to the amount of prosthetic material, but was carried out on only a few patients. The aim of this research is to show if there is a relationship between the amount of prosthetic material used and immunological reactions as well as postoperative oxidative stress, and thus to evaluate, if present, the differences in the biological reaction and biotolerability between light-weight and heavy-weight meshes on a statistically significant number of patients.

In 2006 this research group reported their initial findings of a multi-center prospective trial comparing primary repair and primary repair buttressed with a biologic mesh made from porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS). We were able to accrue 108 patients from 7/2002-3/2005 and followed each patient over 6 months and performed an UGI to check the durability of the repair and rule out a recurrence. The results suggested a significant benefit for the use of SIS mesh in the short-term, with the primary group having a 26% recurrence rate and the mesh group a 9% recurrence rate. While these results are encouraging, it is important to know what is the durability and the longer term benefits of the use of SIS mesh. For this reason we propose a follow-up of the original study patients with the same outcome measures (symptom questionnaire, SF-36, and UGI). This should give us a very good idea about the long-term success of laparoscopic PEH repair with primary and SIS mesh.