What is eventration?
Eventration is a hernia (leakage of an organ or adjacent tissues from the cavity in which they are contained) that forms at the same time as scarring after abdominal surgery. Therefore, it could be defined as a complication of laparotomic surgery or “open sky” abdominal surgery.
What are the symptoms of eventration?
The symptom of eventration is swelling at one point of the surgical scar. The eventration can be completely asymptomatic: visible without causing any discomfort. However, the most typical symptoms associated with this hernia are abdominal discomfort after exercise, long walks and prolonged standing, coughing, sneezing, bowel movements, nausea and vomiting. On the other hand, eventration is more frequent among people who are overweight, elderly, suffer from chronic cough, constipation, urinary obstruction and ascites.
What are the causes of eventration?
Normally, after each laparotomy intervention, sutures are applied to the incision created in the abdominal part so that it closes properly. However, when the closure is not performed correctly, the viscera contained in the abdominal cavity leak out, giving rise to hernia.
How is it treated?
The eventration is treated with a surgical procedure to close that point of the abdominal wall that originates the hernia. For this purpose, there are three different modalities of intervention: application of a metal mesh to contain the hernia, laparoscopic operation to repair the hernia, or “open sky” operation to repair the hernia. With regard to the first method of intervention, when a retentive metal mesh is applied, the viscera revert to their original position and a metal mesh is applied at the point of escape to reinforce the abdominal muscle wall. The laparoscopic operation, on the other hand, is a non-invasive technique that allows access to the abdominal cavity and pelvic cavity with much smaller incisions than those made in laparotomy. The laparoscope, a straw-like tool equipped with a camera connected to an external monitor, is inserted into these incisions. This minimally invasive modality allows the reallocation of the escaped viscera in their original location. The laparotomy operation involves a large incision in the abdomen for the relocation of the bowel and suturing of the abdominal area. The laparoscopic technique is nowadays the most recommended method to remove the hernia, which tends to enlarge over time, as it allows a short hospital stay, minimal scarring, faster healing and less postoperative pain than in laparotomy operations.