HYPOTHESIS:

Separation of components is a safe and effective technique for abdominal wall reconstruction in morbidly obese patients.

DESIGN:

Review of a prospectively accumulated database.

SETTING:

University tertiary care medical center.

PATIENTS:

Thirty morbidly obese patients who underwent ventral hernia repair using the separation of components technique between August 1, 2001, and August 31, 2005.

INTERVENTION:

Ventral hernia repair using the separation of components technique.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:

Postoperative complications and hernia recurrence.

RESULTS:

Thirty morbidly obese patients (mean body mass index [calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared], 61; range, 35-93) underwent ventral hernia repair by the separation of components technique (mean width of defect, 12.8 cm; mean length, 17.6 cm). Twenty-five patients (83%) had comorbidities. Twelve (40%) had undergone previous repairs (9 had undergone multiple repairs; mean, 2.4 repairs per patient; range, 2-4 repairs) and 6 (20%) had infected mesh. Sixteen patients (53%) underwent simultaneous panniculectomies and 6 (20%) underwent simultaneous bariatric procedures (Roux-en-Y gastric bypass). Postoperatively, cellulitis developed in 2 patients (7%), which was treated with antibiotics; wound infections occurred in 2 patients (7%), which were managed with local wound care; and a seroma developed in 1 patient (3%), which resolved spontaneously. The lone recurrent hernia (3%) was repaired with mesh. The mean length of follow-up was 44 months.

CONCLUSIONS:

These results show that (1) separation of components is a safe and effective technique for repairing primary and recurrent ventral hernias in morbidly obese patients; (2) performance of a simultaneous panniculectomy or bariatric procedure does not affect the outcome; and (3) comorbidities do not compromise the results.