BACKGROUND: Incisional hernias are one of the most frequent illnesses, which are directly linked to surgery. The main risk factors of its development are related to the patient per-say and to post-surgery, making its prevention a difficult task. Its treatment is difficult and recidives are common, having substantial social-economic impacts. AIM: To outline the epidemiology of incisional hernia patients. METHODS: The sample consisted of 46 patient records, of whom where submitted to correctional eventration surgeries at HUEC between the months of January 2005 to December 2006. RESULTS: Forty-five Caucasian patients, with an average age of 52,6 years, out of which thirty-one had at least one co-morbid condition associated with the present illness, without any relevant differences pertaining gender. Among the most frequent conditions was obesity, cardiopathy, neoplasia and diabetes, representing 14, 10, 9 and 7 patients respectively. Causes which lead to surgery varied, being thirty-one due to gastro-intestinal tract conditions. The most herniogenic incisions were the upper median and infraumbilical, in sixteen patients. Infection occurred post-surgery in seventeen patients, being intercurrence the most frequent. Eventrations were in most part primary ones, in twenty-nine patients, of which nineteen were located in the hypogastrium. CONCLUSION: The profile of patients with evisceration is marked by factors such as age above 40, the existence of co-morbid conditions, post-operative infection, gastrointestinal tract surgeries as well as median line and particularly infra-umbilical incisions.
Ventral hernia; surgery; Epidemiological profile
