Risk of bowel resection in patients with hernia

Introduction: Repair of hernia is one of the most common general surgery operations. Strangulation of the hernia contents requiring bowel resection is one of the serious complications of hernias. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the risk factors of bowel resection in patients undergoing emergency surgical repair of hernia. Methods: A retrospective study reviewed the medical records of all patients who underwent emergency surgery for hernia from January 2014 to December 2017 at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Patients were stratified into two groups: bowel resection was required (Group 1) or not (Group 2). Extracted patients' data for each group included four different fields: (1) personal data and patients' characteristics, (2) preoperative assessment, (3) intraoperative assessment, and (4) postoperative length of hospitalization and complications. The data were analyzed to determine the risk factors for bowel resection. Results: A total of 83 patients underwent emergency surgery hernia repair during the study. A univariate multiple logistic regression model identified three variables that were independent risk factors for bowel resection: duration of symptoms >24 h (odds ratio = 6.093), previous abdominal surgery (odds ratio = 4.531), and high American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification score (odds ratio = 8.273). Conclusion: Risk factors for bowel resection in emergency hernia repair include high ASA score, previous abdominal surgery, and prolonged the duration of symptoms. Further prospective studies are recommended to confirm the findings of this study.