Results of surgical treatment of hernias of the anterior abdominal wall in patients with connective tissue dysplasia syndrome

Relevance. The problem of surgical treatment of hernias of the anterior abdominal wall remains relevant. Despite the introduction of new technologies, the results of surgical interventions cannot be considered satisfactory. The development of hernias and their relapses is facilitated by connective tissue dysplasia syndrome, which manifests as phenotypic signs, disorders of the autonomic nervous system, and morphological changes in the structure of the connective tissue.
Objective. To improve the results of surgical treatment of hernias of the anterior abdominal wall in patients with connective tissue dysplasia syndrome.
Materials and methods. The study was based on clinical observations and studies of 497 patients with hernias of the anterior abdominal wall. Inguinal (29 %) and postoperative hernias (21 %) predominated. In the structure of recurrent hernias, postoperative (47 %) and inguinal (42 %) hernias were more often observed. Hernioautoplasty was performed in 31 %, plastic surgery using a mesh endoprosthesis — in 54 %, endoscopic hernioplasty — in 15 % of patients. The severity of the clinical, morphological, and metabolic signs of connective tissue dysplasia syndrome was assessed. The concentration of free hydroxyproline in the blood was determined as a marker of connective tissue metabolism. The state of the autonomic nervous system was assessed using variational pulsometry. To assess the state of collagen in connective tissue, a morphological study of the aponeuroses of the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall was performed in the clinic and experiment.
Results. The overall incidence of dysplasia in hernias of the anterior abdominal wall was 48 %. The highest incidence of connective tissue dysplasia was detected in recurrent hernias (70 %). Studies of the level of free hydroxyproline in abdominal hernias have shown the dependence of this marker on the degree of connective tissue dysplasia. In cases of recurrent hernias, the highest intensity of collagen biodegradation was observed. A study of the functional state of the autonomic nervous system revealed a predominance of sympathetic activity in abdominal wall hernias with an increase in the tension index by more than 4 times. An increase in the severity of dysplasia is accompanied by an increase in sympathetic activity. Histological studies in patients with abdominal hernias revealed characteristic changes in the morphological structure of the connective tissue. The average thickness, specific area, brightness of staining, and orientation of collagen fibers in postoperative and recurrent hernias were significantly different compared to the group with primary hernias (p˂0.05). Additionally, an experiment was performed on 30 laboratory animals (white rats) to determine the optimal conditions for healing of the aponeurosis of the anterior abdominal wall. The activating effect of prozerin on the process of histogenesis in the wound was revealed. Based on the results of the study, the surgical treatment of hernias was assessed depending on the type of hernioplasty and the severity of connective tissue dysplasia. It has been established that with increasing severity of dysplasia, the frequency of relapses increases by 2.2–3.4 times. With the progression of dysplasia, the frequency of relapses increased by more than twice. The use of the endoscopic hernioplasty method reduced the risk of recurrent hernias by 9 times.
Conclusion. In externally localized hernias, the incidence of connective tissue dysplasia ranges from 34 % to 70 %. In patients with connective tissue dysplasia syndrome after hernia autoplasty, the frequency of hernia recurrence is 3.4 times higher. Drug correction of sympathetic activity along with alloplasty increased collagen synthesis intensity by 36 %. The choice of hernia repair method should be determined by the type of hernia, the age of the patient, and the severity of connective tissue dysplasia.

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