Quality of Life After Umbilical Hernia Repair

Background: Mesh is beneficial in the repair of umbilical hernias. But it may cause chronic pain due to inflammatory reactions, which may impair the patient's quality of life. Objectives: To assess and compare the quality of life of patients following umbilical hernia repair with and without mesh. Methods: During the study period, 45 patients underwent umbilical hernia repair. The study was conducted at King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital (KAUH), KSA. Data were collected using medical records, and each patient was contacted by telephone, to fill the “Carolina Comfort Scale (CCS)” survey. The survey assesses the grade of pain, sensation of mesh, and movement limitation in different situations. Results: A non-significant difference was found between mean quality of life (QOL) scores of mesh and non-mesh groups. The relationship between CCS and gender was not significant in both groups. However, males had significantly higher CCS scores in mesh-treated cases. There was no statistically significant relationship between CCS and comorbidity, nationality, or symptoms. The overall CCS score did not differ statistically between mesh-treated and non-mesh-treated cases. Conclusion: The CCS score did not differ between mesh-treated and non-mesh-treated cases. It is suggested that future multicentric studies with a larger sample size be conducted.