A Long-Term Follow-Up: Suture Versus Mesh Repair for Adult Umbilical Hernia in Saudi Patients. A Single Center Prospective Study

Objective: To report results of mesh repair vs. the modified Mayo’s suture overlap in the surgical treatment of adult umbilical and paraumbilcal hernias in our medical center. Patients & Methods: The study is a Saudi single center single surgeon trial composed of sixty two patients. It was performed in the Surgical Department of King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital at Jeddah. The patients were randomly assigned into 2 groups. Group A patients underwent onlay mesh repair while modified Mayo’s repair was used in group B patients. Median follow-up was 28 months, and data were collected regarding size of hernia, type of the operation, complications, length of follow-up and the recurrence rate. Chi square test was used to compare results at 0.05 levels. Results: Complication was reported in 17% in group A and 8% in group B .There was no difference in scar pain, cosmetic result, and overall patient satisfaction between both groups. The recurrence rate was 10% for mesh repair and 18.8% for suture repair. Conclusions: Despite higher complication rate, mesh repair is superior to suture repair due to lower recurrence rate. Suture repair still has a place under certain circumstances, also it is simple less costly and has insignificant infection rate.