A Novel Modification of Subcutaneous Onlay Endoscopic Repair of Midline Ventral Hernias With Diastasis Recti: An Indian Experience

Introduction A ventral hernia is a common problem in the population. Many patients with umbilical/epigastric hernia often present with diastasis recti (DR) too. Diastasis recti is the thinning of the linea alba with an abnormal increase in the distance between the recti without a concomitant fascial defect. The presence of diastasis recti complicates the repair of the existing umbilical/epigastric hernia. Repair of only the umbilical/epigastric hernia in the presence of DR results in incomplete repair and predisposes to recurrence. There are various options available for the repair of umbilical hernia with diastasis recti. Open hernia repairs often have unsatisfactory cosmetic outcomes and, furthermore, involve complications frequently associated with large incisions such as surgical site occurrences (SSO), pain, dermal flap necrosis, and delayed postoperative recovery, to name a few. The era of minimal access surgery leaves us with a vast array of creative solutions to the same. Laparoscopic onlay repair has been given various names in literature, e.g., minimally invasive linea alba reconstruction (MILAR), pre-aponeurotic endoscopic repair (REPA), endoscopic linea alba reconstruction (ELAR), subcutaneous onlay laparoscopic approach (SCOLA), and totally endoscopic assisted linea alba reconstruction (TESLAR), with similar principles for all the procedures. The average rate of seroma formation in these procedures varies from 5% to 40%. SCOLA has been used in our study, with an added modification of the operating port and limiting the extent of lateral dissection with the aid of spinal needles, resulting in restrained dissection and creation of smaller lipocutaneous flaps, leading to reduced incidence of seroma formation. Methods Patients with symptomatic primary ventral hernia with concomitant diastasis recti were enrolled in the participating center from the period of May 2020 to December 2021. Thirty patients were enrolled for this prospective study. The patients underwent subcutaneous laparoscopic onlay repair of midline ventral hernia with diastasis recti, with plication of the defect and onlay placement of a polypropylene mesh. Results Six point sixty-six percent (6.66%) of the patients developed seroma and SSO. The incidence is congruent with the results available in current literature. None of the patients had necrosis of umbilical skin. There were no recurrences at the three months follow-up. Conclusion Our modification of SCOLA is an ergonomically favorable procedure and has comparable outcomes to other approaches, with minimal complications.