title: Open ventral hernia repairs with Kugel patch.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the initial results of open ventral hernia repair by sublay placement of the self-expanding ring polypropylene patch (Kugel patch).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four patients with ventral/incisional hernias were operated upon with this technique between December 2004 and August 2008 in the Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Zhong-Da Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing, JiangSu Province, China. Hernia defect sizes, operative technique, operative times, postoperative complications, and recurrence were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The age range of the operated patients was 37-81 years with a mean of 67.1 +/- 10.3. The operation includes hernia of linea alba, spigelian hernia, umbilical hernia, and incisional hernia, and with defect sizes ranging from 1-18 cm (mean: 6.7+/-4.5 cm). Postoperative complications were seroma, upper respiratory infection, and mild pain. The mean operation time (estimated for hernia repair) was 118.5 +/- 42.2 minutes, and the mean postoperative hospital stay was 8.1+/-3 days (3-16 days). There was no recurrence during the follow-up time (8-54 months, median: 26 months).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Open repair of ventral or incisional hernias with Kugel, or modified Kugel patch by sublay technique is safe, simple, and effective with low postoperative complication rate.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Afflilated Zhong-Da Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, JiangSu Province, China. Lijunshenghd@126.com
authors.forename: Junsheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhenling
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Yanan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D059685:Herniorrhaphy; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000379:methods*