TU2.4 Synthesis review with meta-analysis on risk of incisional hernia following transverse versus vertical midline incision for specimen extraction in patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal resections

Abstract

Objective The objective of this article is to explore the risk of incisional hernia (IH) occurrence at the site of specimen extraction following laparoscopic colorectal resection (LCR), highlighting the comparison between transverse incision versus midline vertical abdominal incision. Method Analysis was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. Systematic search of medical databases like MEBASE, MEDLINE and pubmed was performed to find all types of comparative studies reporting the incidence of IH at the specimen extraction site of transverse or vertical midline incision following LCR. The analysis of the pooled data was done using the RevMan statistical software. Result Twenty-five comparative studies (including 2 RCTs) on 10362 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. There were 4944 patIents in the transverse incision group and 5418 patients in the vertical midline incision group. In the random effects model analysis, the use of transverse incision for specimen extraction following LCR reduced the risk of IH development [odds ratio 0.30, 95% CI (0.19–0.49), z= 4.88, p=0.00001]. However, there was significant heterogeneity (Tau2 = 0.97; Chi2= 109.98, df = 24(p=0.00004; I2 = 78%) among included studies. Conclusion Transverse incision used for specimen extraction following LCR seems to reduce the risk of postoperative IH incidence compared to vertical midline abdominal incisions.