title: Emergency treatment of complicated incisional hernias: a case study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The emergency treatment of incisional hernias is infrequent but it can be complicated with strangulation or obstruction and in some cases the surgical approach may also include an intestinal resection with the possibility of peritoneal contamination. Our study aims at reporting our experience in the emergency treatment of complicated incisional hernias.
  
  
  METHODS
  Since January 1999 till July 2008, 89 patients (55 males and 34 females) were treated for complicated incisional hernias in emergency. The patients were divided in two groups: Group I consisting of 33 patients that were treated with prosthesis apposition and Group II, consisting of 56 patients that were treated by performing a direct abdominal wall muscles suture.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All the patients underwent a 6-month follow up; we noticed 9 recurrences (9/56, 16%) in the patients treated with direct abdominal wall muscles suture and 1 recurrence (1/33, 3%) in the group of patients treated with the prosthesis apposition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to our experience, the emergency treatment of complicated incisional hernias through prosthesis apposition is always feasible and ensures less post-operative complications (16% vs 21,2%) and recurrences (3% vs 16%) compared to the patients treated with direct muscular suture.
authors.affiliation: General Surgical Unit, St. Maria Hospital, Terni (TR), University of Perugia, Italy. doctorfrank81@hotmail.it
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: La Mura
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cirocchi
authors.forename: Eriberto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Farinella
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Morelli
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Napolitano
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cattorini
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spizzirri
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rossetti
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Delmonaco
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Migliaccio
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Milani
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Covarelli
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boselli
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Noya
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sciannameo