The impact of active smoking on postoperative morbidity and hernia recurrence following abdominal wall reconstruction: long-term follow-up.

Abstract

<h4>Introduction</h4>Active smoking is widely regarded as a risk factor for wound morbidity and adverse outcomes in abdominal wall reconstruction (AWR), often serving as a contraindication to elective repair. However, its independent impact on long-term complications remains poorly characterized.<h4>Methods</h4>This study utilized the prospectively maintained ACHQC registry, included patients who underwent open, elective, clean ventral hernia repair (VHR) with transversus abdominis release (TAR) and permanent synthetic mesh at a high-volume AWR center between February 2019 and December 2022. All active smokers during this period were propensity matched in a 1:3 ratio to never-smokers based on demographics, comorbidities, and operative characteristics. Outcomes were assessed at early (30-day) and long-term (≥ 24 months) timepoints. Primary endpoints included wound morbidity, mesh-related complications and hernia recurrence.<h4>Results</h4>A total of 106 active smokers were propensity-matched to 295 never-smokers. Baseline demographics and operative variables were well balanced. At 30 days, there were no significant differences in surgical site infection (SSI) (9.4% vs. 9.2%, p = 0.92), surgical site occurrence (SSO) (21.5% vs. 17.6%, p = 0.48), or surgical site occurrence requiring procedural intervention (SSOPI) (9.4% vs. 9.2%, p = 0.92). At 24 months, rates of SSO (1.9% vs. 0.7%, p = 0.81), SSI (0% vs. 0.3%, p > 0.99), SSOPI (0% vs. 0.7%, p > 0.99), mesh infection (0.9% vs. 0%, p > 0.99), and reoperation were low and statistically similar. Hernia recurrence at ≥ 24 months was 4.7% in smokers vs. 7.8% in never-smokers (p = 0.15).<h4>Conclusion</h4>In this analysis, active smoking was not associated with increased risk of clinically significant wound morbidity, mesh-related complications, SSOPI, or hernia recurrence. These findings support a patient-centered approach wherein smoking cessation is strongly encouraged but not mandated prior to surgical repair in appropriately selected individuals.