Impact of an abdominal wall surgery specialist on incisional hernia outcomes: A registry-based analysis

Introduction: General surgery is undergoing progressive super-specialization with conditions previously managed by general surgeons now being treated by super-specialists (SS). No universal criteria currently exist to define abdominal wall surgery super-specialization (AWS-SS), and the designation remains a self-reported classification. The aim of our paper is to evaluate the outcomes of incisional hernia (IH) procedures in the context of super-specialization or not, focusing on complications and recurrence rates. Methods: All patients who underwent elective and emergency IH repair with mesh between 2017 and 2022 were included in the Spanish IH registry (EVEREG database). At the time of data inclusion, surgeons self-identified as either super-specialists or not (SS vs NSS), using no predefined criteria. Patients were divided into 2 groups: those performed by SS or NSS. Using a 1:1 matched analysis, differences in the incidence of complications and recurrence rates within 30 days, 6 months, one year, or 2 years of follow up were compared. Results: A total of 6231 IH procedures were analyzed, 3441 (55.2%) of which were recorded as having been performed in the presence of a super-specialist. After matching, 4680 IH procedures were included in the final analysis. IH repairs performed in the presence of a super-specialist were associated with a lower incidence of surgical site occurrences (SSO), reduced recurrence rates within the first 2 years of follow-up, and lower rates of bulging and overall complications. Conclusions: Involvement of a super-specialist in the repair of an IH can be associated with lower complication rates and reduced recurrence.