Open repair of incisional ventral abdominal hernias with mesh leads to long-term improvement in pain interference as measured by patient-reported outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System was used to evaluate the effects of open incisional ventral hernia repair on hernia-related pain.

METHODS: All patients who underwent elective repair of a primary or recurrent midline incisional hernia over a 3-year period completed Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System pain surveys and rated their pain intensity on a visual analogue scale. A retrospective review of these patients was performed.

RESULTS: Seventy-seven patients underwent midline incisional ventral hernia repair and completed preoperative and postoperative surveys. Thirty-eight patients completed surveys at least 6 months after surgery. These patients demonstrated significant improvement in pain interference postoperatively (P < .05) but not in pain behavior. Patients with higher pain intensity scores preoperatively had greater improvements in pain behavior and pain interference postoperatively.

CONCLUSIONS: Patients with incisional ventral hernias have improvement in pain interference 6 months after open surgical repair. Changes are most pronounced in patients who experience higher magnitudes of pain preoperatively.