Hernia repair in patients with Crohn’s disease - Clinical outcomes, risk factors and international consensus

PhD defence by Hans Henrik Kristoffer Lovén

Assessment Committee

Professor John Gásdal Karstensen, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen (Chairperson)
Professor Mark Ellebæk, Odense University Hospital
Dr Eva Deerenberg, Franciscus Gasthuis & Vlietland, Department of Surgery, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Supervisors

Clinical Professor Ismail Gögenur
Chief Surgeon Thue Bisgaard

Clinical Associate Professor Rune Erichsen
Deputy Museum Director Anders Tøttrup

Department

Department of Clinical Medicine

Graduate Programme

Surgical Sciences

Place

Building: 20, Room: Adolf Hannover Auditoriet, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 København N

Email address to gain access to the thesis: hans.loven@gmail.com.
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Short description of the thesis

Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, and many patients undergo repeated abdominal surgery. Each operation weakens the abdominal wall and increases the risk of incisional hernia. Most hernias are repaired with a synthetic mesh, but in Crohn's disease this practice remains controversial: surgeons worry that the mesh may become chronically infected or that fistulas, abnormal connections between the bowel and the mesh, may develop. Using nationwide Danish registers, this thesis examines the risk of incisional hernia repair and long-term outcomes after incisional and groin hernia repair. An international expert consensus provides recommendations for incisional, groin and parastomal hernia repair. The findings may help to inform the choice of hernia repair in patients with Crohn's disease.