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. 2025 Jan 23;29(1):76. doi: 10.1007/s10029-025-03265-3

Table 2.

Description of the conservative treatment subgroup, comparison of patients without or with treatment failure, and determinants of treatment failure (univariate analysis)

Conservative treatment Descriptive analysis Univariate analysis
Failure Success p-value OR (95% CI) p-value
n 131 54 77
Demographics and comorbidities
Gender (male) 74/131 (56.5%) 32/54 (59.3%) 42/77 (54.5%) 0.592 1.212 (0.599–2.451) 0.592
Age (years) 62 (55–69) 61.5 (55.3–69.8) 62 (54.5–69) 0.924 1.006 (0.976–1.036) 0.681
BMI (kg/m²) 29.7 (26.9–33.2) 29.1 (26.8–32.6) 30.1 (26-33.6) 0.680 0.993 (0.937–1.052) 0.825
ASA score 2 (2–3) 2 (2–3) 2 (2–3) 0.825 0.965 (0.547–1.704) 0.904
Modified Charlson’s Comorbidity index 3 (2-4.5) 3 (2–4) 3 (2–5) 0.945 1.003 (0.868–1.157) 0.966
Active smoking 25/131 (19.1%) 11/54 (20.4%) 14/77 (18.2%) 0.754 1.151 (0.477–2.774) 0.753
Previous abdominal surgery 126/131 (96.2%) 51/54 (94.4%) 75/77 (97.4%) 0.403 0.453 (0.073–2.809) 0.395
> 1 previous abdominal surgeries 100/131 (76.3%) 48/54 (88.9%) 52/77 (67.5%) 0.005 3.846 (1.452–10.182) 0.006
Index surgery
Operative indication
Primary hernia 23/129 (17.8%) 11/53 (20.8%) 12/76 (15.8%) 0.469 1.396 (0.564–3.456) 0.469
Incisional hernia 102/129 (79.1%) 39/53 (73.6%) 63/76 (82.9%) 0.201 0.574 (0.244–1.350) 0.203
Acute complication 6/129 (4.7%) 3/53 (5.7%) 3/76 (3.9%) 0.689 1.459 (0.283–7.528) 0.651
Post-surgical parietal closure 4/129 (3.1%) 3/53 (5.7%) 1/76 (1.3%) 0.305 4.499 (0.455–44.494) 0.198
Mesh characteristics
Size (cm²) 500 (288–900) 500 (300–900) 450 (0-900) 0.301 1.000 (0.999–1.001) 0.178
Synthetic 82/115 (71.3%) 32/49 (65.3%) 50/66 (75.8%) 0.220 0.602 (0.266–1.359) 0.222
Biosynthetic 32/115 (27.8%) 17/49 (34.7%) 15/66 (22.7%) 0.157 1.806 (0.793–4.113) 0.159
Biological 1/115 (0.9%) 0/49 (0%) 1/66 (1.5%) 1.000
Absorbable 29/116 (25%) 14/49 (28.6%) 15/67 (22.4%) 0.447 1.386 (0.595–3.228) 0.448
Semi-absorbable 35/116 (30.2%) 11/49 (22.4%) 24/67 (35.8%) 0.121 0.518 (0.224–1.197) 0.123
Non-absorbable 52/116 (44.8%) 24/49 (49.0%) 28/67 (41.8%) 0.442 1.337 (0.637–2.805) 0.442
Mesh location
Subcutaneous 25/127 (19.7%) 11/52 (21.2%) 14/75 (18.7%) 0.729 1.168 (0.483–2.827) 0.729
Retromuscular 62/127 (48.8%) 19/52 (36.5%) 43/75 (57.3%) 0.021 0.428 (0.207–0.886) 0.022
Preperitoneal 8/127 (6.3%) 4/52 (7.7%) 4/75 (5.3%) 0.715 1.479 (0.352–6.202) 0.592
Intraperitoneal 34/127 (26.8%) 20/52 (38.5%) 14/75 (18.7%) 0.013 2.723 (1.216–6.096) 0.014
Altemeier class 1 110/128 (85.9%) 44/52 (84.6%) 66/76 (86.8%) 0.722 0.833 (0.305–2.276) 0.722
Infection presentation
Time from surgery to onset of symptoms (days) 14 (8–26) 13 (7–50) 14 (8-23.3) 0.801 1.000 (0.999-1.000) 0.533
Highest CRP level (mg/L) 130 (60–205) 142 (60–250) 124.5 (0-180.8) 0.234 1.002 (0.998–1.005) 0.213
Infection type
Inflammatory wound dehiscence 9/131 (6.9%) 0/54 (0%) 9/77 (11.7%) 0.009 NC NC
Abscess 120/131 (91.6%) 53/54 (98.1%) 67/77 (87.0%) 0.026 7.910 (0.981–63.761) 0.052
Abdominal wall abscess 114/131 (87.0%) 49/54 (90.7%) 65/77 (84.4%) 0.289 1.809 (0.597–5.474) 0.293
Deep abscess 13/131 (9.9%) 7/54 (13.0%) 6/77 (7.8%) 0.330 1.762 (0.557–5.571) 0.334
Sinus tract 73/131 (55.7%) 36/54 (66.7%) 37/77 (48.1%) 0.035 2.162 (1.051–4.446) 0.036
Enterocutaneous sinus tract 6/131 (4.6%) 4/54 (7.4%) 2/77 (2.6%) 0.229 2.999 (0.529–17.001) 0.214
Early post-operative peritonitis 0/131 (0%) 0/54 (0%) 0/77 (0%) NC NC NC
Microbiology results 94/131 (71.8%) 43/54 (79.6%) 51/77 (66.2%) 0.094 1.992 (0.883–4.495) 0.096
Sterile 6/94 (6.4%) 3/43 (7.0%) 3/51 (5.9%) 1.000 1.199 (0.229–6.275) 0.828
Polymicrobial 47/94 (50.0%) 24/43 (55.8%) 23/51 (45.1%) 0.301 1.537 (0.679–3.478) 0.301
S.aureus 36/94 (38.3%) 14/43 (32.6%) 22/51 (43.1%) 0.293 0.636 (0.273–1.481) 0.294
CoNS 6/94 (6.4%) 3/43 (7.0%) 3/51 (5.9%) 1.000 1.199 (0.229–6.275) 0.828
Streptococcus spp. 8/94 (8.5%) 4/43 (9.3%) 4/51 (7.8%) 1.000 1.205 (0.282–5.134) 0.800
Enterococcus spp. 16/94 (17.0%) 6/43 (14.0%) 10/51 (19.6%) 0.467 0.664 (0.220–2.008) 0.469
Corynebacterium spp. 3/94 (3.2%) 2/43 (4.7%) 1/51 (2.0%) 0.591 2.439 (0.213–27.863) 0.473
Cutibacterium spp. 2/94 (2.1%) 2/43 (4.7%) 0/51 (0%) 0.207 NC NC
Enterobacteriaceae 29/94 (30.9%) 14/43 (32.6%) 15/51 (29.4%) 0.742 1.158 (0.481–2.785) 0.742
Pseudomonas spp. 5/94 (5.3%) 2/43 (4.7%) 3/51 (5.9%) 1.000 0.780 (0.124-4.900) 0.791
Anaerobes 22/94 (23.4%) 11/43 (25.6%) 11/51 (21.6%) 0.647 1.249 (0.480–3.252) 0.647
Actinomyces spp. 4/94 (4.3%) 2/43 (4.7%) 2/51 (3.9%) 1.000 1.195 (0.161–8.860) 0.861
Fungi 3/94 (3.2%) 3/43 (7.0%) 0/51 (0%) 0.092 NC NC
Infection management
Local treatment only 45/131 (34.4%) 22/54 (40.7%) 23/77 (29.9%) 0.197 1.614 (0.777–3.349) 0.198
Radiological drainage 18/131 (13.7%) 6/54 (11.1%) 12/77 (15.6%) 0.608 0.677 (0.237–1.932) 0.466
Surgery 41/131 (31.3%) 17/54 (31.5%) 24/77 (31.2%) 0.970 1.014 (0.479–2.147) 0.969
Partial mesh removal 11/131 (8.4%) 3/54 (5.6%) 8/77 (10.4%) 0.524 0.507 (0.128–2.007) 0.333
Single-stage abdominal wall reconstruction 0/51 (0%) 0/20 (0%) 0/31 (0%) NC NC NC
Negative pressure therapy alone 4/131 (3.1%) 1/54 (1.9%) 3/77 (3.9%) 0.643 0.465 (0.047–4.598) 0.512
Post-operative negative pressure therapy 29/131 (22.1%) 8/54 (14.8%) 21/77 (27.3%) 0.134 0.463 (0.188–1.143) 0.095
Antibiotic treatment 112/130 (86.2%) 42/53 (79.2%) 70/77 (90.9%) 0.058 0.381 (0.137–1.060) 0.064
Adapted empiric antibiotic therapy 58/75 (77.3%) 22/29 (75.9%) 36/46 (78.3%) 0.809 0.873 (0.290–2.627) 0.809
Secondary adaptation 41/68 (60.3%) 13/25 (52.0%) 28/43 (65.1%) 0.286 0.580 (0.212–1.584) 0.288
Treatment duration (days) 14 (9–21) 11 (7–19) 14 (0–21) 0.086 0.996 (0.972–1.021) 0.782
Outcomes
Failure 54/131 (41.2%) 54/54 (100%) NA NA NA NA
Time to failure (days) 36.5 (16–183) 36.5 (16–183) NA NA NA NA
Hernia recurrence 32/131 (24.4%) 16/54 (29.6%) 16/77 (20.8%) 0.246 1.605 (0.719–3.582) 0.247
Subsequent surgery for infectious purpose 42/131 (32.1%) 42/54 (77.8%) NA NA NA NA
Follow-up time (weeks) 76 (25.9-201.1) 73.2 (32.3-180.3) 77.9 (26-203.3) 0.861 1.000 (0.997–1.002) 0.846

95%CI, 95% confidence interval; ASA, American Society of Anesthesiologists, BMI, Body mass index; CoNS, Coagulase negative staphylococci; CRP, C-reactive protein; NA, Not applicable; NC, Not calculable; OR, Odd ratio