title: Progressive pneumoperitoneum in the management of giant incisional hernias: a study of 41 patients.
abstract: Forty-one patients (17 men and 24 women) were treated with progressive pneumoperitoneum before repair of giant incisional hernias. The pneumoperitoneum was induced using nitrous oxide gas and a laparoscopic insufflator, and was topped up every other day for a mean of 5.5 days with a total injection of 23.2 litres of nitrous oxide. The pneumoperitoneum was well tolerated in 30 patients, caused a mild temporary pain in 10 patients and a sharp pain in one patient; no serious side-effects occurred. All the patients underwent surgery to repair their hernias, 40 patients were available for follow-up for a mean of 25.3 months, only two hernias recurred both within 4 months of the operation.
authors.affiliation: Civic Hospital of Padua, University of Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Caldironi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bozza
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pluchinotta
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Pelizzo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Toniato
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ranzato
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006555:Hernia, Ventral / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009609:Nitrous Oxide; D011028:Pneumoperitoneum, Artificial; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000601:surgery; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D013526:Surgical Mesh; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D009609:Nitrous Oxide