ArticleHernia : the journal of hernias and abdominal wall surgery2026
Chronic pain and aesthetics after cosmetically motivated open primary ventral hernia repair: a survey- and register-based nationwide study.
Article in Hernia : the journal of hernias and abdominal wall surgery, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
purposeThe study aimed to assess patient-reported outcomes among patients undergoing elective open primary ventral hernia repair exclusively motivated by cosmetic concerns.
methodsThis Danish nationwide study included patients who underwent elective open ventral hernia repair from 2014 to 2024. Patients were identified through the Danish National Patient Register and invited to complete a digital survey. Survey data on surgical motivation and patient-reported outcomes were linked with data from the Danish Ventral Hernia Database. Outcomes included severe chronic pain, self-reported recurrence, cosmetic improvement, cosmetic satisfaction, and changes in quality of life. Targeted average treatment effects were estimated using g-computation.
resultsAmong 14,263 eligible individuals, the survey response rate was 78%. Of respondents, 393 reported cosmetic-only motivation for surgery, and 8,016 reported physical symptoms as motivation. The population-averaged adjusted prevalence of severe chronic pain was 5.9% (95% CI 3.8-8.0) in the cosmetic-only motivation group versus 10.9% (95% CI 10.2-11.6) in the physical motivation group. Recurrence was likewise less frequent (7.0%, 95% CI 4.7-9.3 vs. 13.1%, 95% CI 12.3-13.8). The proportion reporting no improvement in quality of life did not differ significantly (8.6% vs. 6.1%; absolute difference - 2.6%, 95% CI -5.3-0.2), nor did Abdominal Hernia Questionnaire appearance scores (18.2 vs. 18.5; difference 0.3, 95% CI 0.0-0.5). Median follow-up was 6.8 and 5.2 years, respectively.
conclusionMost patients undergoing open repair of a small primary ventral hernia for cosmetic reasons experienced improved abdominal appearance and quality of life, while risks of chronic pain and recurrence remained relatively low.
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