Advanced Age: Is It an Indication or Contraindication for Laparoscopic Ventral Hernia Repair?

INTRODUCTION: Ventral hernias are common surgical problems in the geriatric population. Although ventral hernias are electively repaired in younger patients, the safety and efficacy of elective laparoscopic hernia repair in the geriatric age group is not well documented in the literature. METHODS: A review of 155 patients undergoing laparoscopic ventral hernia repair was undertaken. The patients were classified according to their age into 2 groups, Group A (n=126) for those who are ≤65 years old and Group B (n=29) for those who are >65 years old. The patient demographics, comorbidities, hernia characteristics, and operative and postoperative data were compared. RESULTS: Younger patients were found to have a significantly increased BMI, while the older group had an increased number of comorbidities. No difference was found in the complication or recurrence rates between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: Elective laparoscopic ventral hernia repair in senior citizens is safe and feasible in our experience. We believe that the decision to perform an elective hernia repair in this patient population should be based on the general condition of the patient rather than the patient's chronological age.