Does the use of bioabsorbable mesh for hiatal hernia repair at the time of bariatric surgery reduce recurrence rates? A meta-analysis

Abstract

Background: Anywhere from 16% to 37% of patients undergoing bariatric and metabolic surgery are estimated to have a hiatal hernia. To address the lack of long-term data showing the efficacy of bioabsorbable mesh in reducing the recurrence of hiatal hernia in patients who undergo bariatric surgery, we evaluated the world literature and performed a meta-analysis.

Objective: To evaluate hiatal hernia recurrence rates after placement of bioabsorbable mesh in bariatric patients.

Setting: Meta-analysis of world literature.

Methods: We performed a literature search using PubMed and MEDLINE with search terms including "hiatal hernia recurrence," "bariatric surgery," "bioabsorbable mesh," "Gore BIO-A," and "trimethylene carbonate." Analysis was conducted to compare surgical time, length of stay, recurrence rate, hernia size, and changes in body mass index before and after surgery between mesh-group (MG) and nonmesh (NM) patients. The meta-analysis was described using standardized mean difference, weighted mean difference, effect size, and 95% confidence interval (CI). An I² statistic was computed to assess heterogeneity.

Results: Twelve studies with 1351 patients were included in our meta-analysis. Four studies had both an MG and an NM group. There were 668 patients in the MG and 683 patients in the NM group. Hernia size noted in the NM group (7 cm²) was compared with that in the MG (6.5 cm²) (95% CI: 3.89-9.14; P = .86). The MG had fewer recurrences than the NM group (effect size, 2% versus 14%; 95% CI: -.26 to -.02; P = .027). The average follow-up was 28.8 months for the MG and 32.8 months for the NM group.

Conclusion: Repair with bioabsorbable mesh at the time of the index bariatric surgery is more effective at reducing the recurrence rate of hiatal hernia than suture cruroplasty. Further studies investigating the long-term outcomes of bioabsorbable mesh placed at the time of bariatric surgery are needed.

Keywords: Bariatric surgery; Bioabsorbable mesh; Hiatal hernia; Recurrence rate.