Abdominal Wall Hernias in Adults: Comparative Study of Anatomo-Clinical, Therapeutic and Progressive Aspects between Two Hospitals in the South of Togo

Abstract

Objective: We aim to analyze the surgical nursery of abdominal wall hernias in adults between two poorly fitted medical environments, the Regional Hospital Center of Tsévié (RHC-T) and the Prefectural Hospital Center of Kpalimé (PHC-K) in Togo. Methodology: It was a retrospective, descriptive and comparative study carried out over five years (2018-2022) focusing on abdominal wall hernias in adults. Information was gathered from the patients’clinical notes and registers on the frequency of hernias, the anatomo-clinical forms of hernias, the type of anesthesia, the hernia repair technique and the postoperative evolution. Results: Of the 1022 and 1026 operations performed, 312 and 412 were hernial repairs, representing 30.5% and 41.2% of operations at RHC-T and PHC-K respectively (p = 0.001). The inguinal hernia was the most often found in 83.7% (n = 261) at RHC-T versus 76.6% (n = 324) at PHC-K. Herniorrhaphy was the most frequently used repair method, in 93.6% (n = 292) of patients at RHC-T and in 91.3% (n = 376) at PHC-K (p = 0.11). Postoperative complications were noted in 5.1% of cases (n = 16) at RHC-T versus 3.5% of cases (n = 15) at PHC-K (p = 0.307). These complications included scrotal hematomas, surgical areas infections, and orchitis. We recorded 1.3% (n = 4) and 0.8% (n = 3) deaths at RHC-T and PHC-K respectively (p = 0.496). Conclusion: There is homogeneity in the treatment of hernia in these two hospitals in Togo.