Risk factors of severe incisional hernia after renal transplantation: a retrospective multicentric case-control study on 225 patients

Purpose The aim of this study was to analyze the incidence of severe incisional hernias and find their specific risk factors in renal transplant patients. Methods This retrospective multicentric case-control study focused on 225 kidney transplant patients among 4348 patients transplanted during this period within two French university hospitals (Saint-Louis/LariboisiSre in Paris and Tours, Loire Valley) from 2000 to 2014 and from 1995 to 2014, respectively. Forty-five patients developed a severe incisional hernia after renal transplantation. The primary outcome measure was the development of a severe incisional hernia after surgery. Statistical analysis included an univariate analysis and a multivariate analysis using a logistic regression according to the Cox model. Results Forty-five patients (1.03%) had a severe incisional hernia surgery after renal transplantation. The median follow-up was 55.5 months. In univariate analysis, smoking, the occurrence of a lymphocele and parietal closure in a single musculo-fascial layer was significantly associated with the occurrence of incisional hernia after renal transplantation. Former or active smoking (OR 2.32, p = 0.0370), lymphocele (OR 4.3903, p = 0.0018) and parietal musculo-fascial closure in one single layer (OR 3.37, p = 0.0088) significantly increased the risk of incisional hernia after kidney transplant in multivariate analysis. Conclusion We report in this study one of the largest series of patients who had incisional hernia after renal transplantation. Former or active smoking, lymphocele and parietal closure in one single musculo-fascial layer were independent risk factors for incisional hernia following kidney transplant.