Incidence of Clinically Relevant Incisional Hernia After Colon Cancer Surgery and Its Risk Factors: A Nationwide Claims Study

Gi Hyeon Seo, Eun Kyung Choe, Kyu Joo Park, Young Jun Chai

As there is scant literature focusing on incisional hernia for which hospital care is sought, the aim of this study was to elucidate the incidence and risk factors of overt incisional hernia (OIH) after colon cancer surgery using nationwide claims data. Claims data of colon cancer patients who underwent regional colectomy were obtained from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database of South Korea. Data from 2010 to 2012 were collected to ensure adequate follow-up. OIH was considered to be present when either the diagnosis code for IH or the claim code for IH repair was entered after index colectomy for colon cancer. A total of 24,645 patients underwent regional colectomy for colon cancer during the study period. Of these, 376 (1.5%) patients had an OIH within 3 years after surgery, and 50.3% of OIHs developed within the first year after the index colectomy (883.7 cases/10,000 patient-years). The Cox proportional hazard model showed that age >65 years, female gender, open colectomy, and institution volume <100 colectomies per year were statistically significant risk factors for OIH. The 3-year cumulative OIH incidence rates according to age >65 years, female gender, open colectomy, and institution volume <100 colectomies per year were 2.1, 2.1, 2.0, and 2.1%, respectively. Several risk factors for OIH and its incidence after regional colectomy for colon cancer were identified. These findings are helpful for classifying patients undergoing segmental colectomy who have increased the likelihood of developing IH and are informative for patients and medical providers performing the surgery.