Background: The emergency treatment of incisional hernias can be accomplished by a laparoscopic approach in order to avoid the common complications following open techniques.
Methods: From January 2001 to September 2007, we performed 48 emergency laparoscopic treatments of incarcerated hernias.
Results: In our hospital, 320 patients with incisional hernia and 65 patients with primary abdominal wall hernia were treated laparoscopically. Forty-eight patients (30 females and 18 males) underwent emergency surgery. The mean operative time was 62 min (range 45–80 min). The average length of hospital stay was 4 days (range 3–6 days). We had eight post-surgical seromas, all of which were treated successfully by needle aspiration. We saw no mesh sepsis and no metabolic or surgical complications. We had no recurrence nor the need for a second operation. Mortality was nil.
Conclusions: The results of this series prove the feasibility of emergency laparoscopic surgery in incarcerated incisional hernias using new-generation meshes.