Quality of Life Using the Carolinas Comfort Scale for Laparoscopic Incisional Hernia Repair: A 12-Year Experience in a Retrospective Observational Study.

Background: Incisional hernias are a common complication of abdominal surgery (10%-35%) and are notorious for recurrence. Laparoscopic incisional hernia repair (LIHR) was first performed in 1991 and is reported to have lower recurrence rates. Few studies to date have assessed quality of life (QoL) resulting from a repair. The purpose of this observational study was to present a 12-year experience performing LIHR, with a focus on the impact on QoL. Methods: All adult patients undergoing elective LIHR performed by a single surgeon, whether primary or recurrent, were included in the study. The data collection was performed prospectively between 2007 and 2019 to include demographic details, intraoperative findings and postoperative short- and longterm outcomes. We used the Carolinas Comfort Scale (CCS) to assess QoL following surgery. Results: Ninety-seven patients were included in the study. Patients had a median age of 57 years, body mass index of 32 kg/m2 , 35% were male and 88% were American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class I or II. The duration of surgery was 90 minutes*. Nineteen percent of patients had complications during or after surgery; 1 (1%) had recurrence. length of stay in hospital was 1* (0-12) days and long-term follow-up period was 42* (2-140) months after surgery. Time of return to daily activities was 14* (1-365) days. Eighty-six percent of patients rated their experience undergoing LIHR as "Excellent" or "Good". Regarding QoL after surgery, scores on the CCS indicated that 82% of patients had minimal or no discomfort following surgery, and only 1% had significant discomfort. *Presented as median. Conclusions: The technique for LIHR displayed in this study is safe and effective. There was an acceptable rate of complications, with a low recurrence rate. Patients were highly satisfied and had a good QoL after the procedure. Research Registry ID Number: researchregistry6056.