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Clinical guidelines are evidence-based recommendations developed by healthcare organizations or expert panels to assist healthcare providers and patients in making appropriate and reliable decisions regarding specific health conditions, aiming to enhance the quality of healthcare by promoting best practices, reducing variations in care, and at the same time, allowing tailored clinical decision-making. European Hernia Society (EHS) guidelines aim to provide surgeons a reliable set of answers to their pertinent clinical questions and a tool to base their activity as experts in the management of abdominal wall defects. The traditional approach to guideline production is based on gathering key opinion leader in a particular field, to address a number of key questions, appraising papers, presenting evidence and produce final recommendations based on the literature and consensus. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) method offers a transparent and structured process for developing and presenting evidence summaries and for carrying out the steps involved in developing recommendations. Its main strength lies in guiding complex judgments that balance the need for simplicity with the requirement for complete and transparent consideration of all important issues. EHS guidelines are of overall good quality but the application of GRADE method, began with EHS guidelines on open abdomen, and the increasing adherence to the process, has greatly improved the reliability of our guidelines. Currently, the need to application of this methodology and the creation of stable and dedicated group of researchers interested in following GRADE in the production of guidelines has been outlined in the literature. Considering that the production of clinical guidelines is a complex process, this paper aim to highlights the primary features of guideline production, GRADE methodology, the challenges associated with their adoption in the field of hernia surgery and the project of the EHS to establish a stable guidelines committee to provide technical and methodological support in update of previously published guideline or the creation of new ones., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Stabilini, Antoniou, Berrevoet, Boermeester, Bracale, de Beaux, East, Gök, Lopez Cano, Muysoms, Capoccia Giovannini and Simons.)

Background: Groin hernia repair is one of the most common operations performed globally, with more than 20 million procedures per year. The last guidelines on groin hernia management were published in 2018 by the HerniaSurge Group. The aim of this project was to assess new evidence and update the guidelines. The guideline is intended for general and abdominal wall surgeons treating adult patients with groin hernias., Method: A working group of 30 international groin hernia experts and all involved stakeholders was formed and examined all new literature on groin hernia management, available until April 2022. Articles were screened for eligibility and assessed according to GRADE methodologies. New evidence was included, and chapters were rewritten. Statements and recommendations were updated or newly formulated as necessary., Results: Ten chapters of the original HerniaSurge inguinal hernia guidelines were updated. In total, 39 new statements and 32 recommendations were formulated (16 strong recommendations). A modified Delphi method was used to reach consensus on all statements and recommendations among the groin hernia experts and at the European Hernia Society meeting in Manchester on October 21, 2022., Conclusion: The HerniaSurge Collaboration has updated the international guidelines for groin hernia management. The updated guidelines provide an overview of the best available evidence on groin hernia management and include evidence-based statements and recommendations for daily practice. Future guideline development will change according to emerging guideline methodology., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of BJS Society Ltd.)

Introduction: The choice of imaging techniques in the diagnosis of acute diverticulitis is controversial. This study aimed to determine radiologists' preferences for different imaging techniques in the management of acute diverticulitis and the extent to which they use the different radiologic techniques for this purpose., Methods: An online survey was disseminated through the Spanish Society of Abdominal Imaging (Sociedad Española de Diagnóstico por Imagen del Abdomen (SEDIA)) and Twitter. The survey included questions about respondents' working environments, protocolization, personal preferences, and actual practice in the radiological management of acute diverticulitis., Results: A total of 186 responses were obtained, 72% from radiologists working in departments organized by organ/systems. Protocols for managing acute diverticulitis were in force in 48% of departments. Ultrasonography was the initial imaging technique in 47.5%, and 73% of the respondents considered that ultrasonography should be the first-choice technique; however, in practice, ultrasonography was the initial imaging technique in only 24% of departments. Computed tomography was the first imaging technique in 32.8% of departments, and its use was significantly more common outside normal working hours. The most frequently employed classification was the Hinchey classification (75%). Nearly all (96%) respondents expressed a desire for a consensus within the specialty about using the same classification. Hospitals with >500 beds and those organized by organ/systems had higher rates of protocolization, use of classifications, and belief that ultrasonography is the best first-line imaging technique., Conclusions: The radiologic management of acute diverticulitis varies widely, with differences in the protocols used, radiologists' opinions, and actual clinical practice., (Copyright © 2022 SERAM. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background: Poly-4-hydroxybutyrate (P4HB) is a fully resorbable, biologically-produced polymer with a strength and flexibility comparable to permanent synthetic polymers. The objective was to identify/summarize all peer-reviewed publications involving P4HB mesh., Methods: A scoping review was conducted within PubMed and included articles published through October 2022., Results: A total of n  = 79 studies were identified ( n  = 12 in vitro /bench; n  = 14 preclinical; n  = 6 commentaries; n  = 50 clinical). Of the clinical studies, n  = 40 reported results applicable to hernia and n  = 10 to plastic/reconstructive surgery and involved patients of all Centers for Disease Control (CDC) wound classes and Ventral Hernia Working Group (VHWG) grades., Conclusion: P4HB mesh provides long-term hernia repair strength and exhibits promising clinical outcomes beyond its resorption period. Future studies should include randomized controlled trials comparing P4HB to other biomaterials, as well as optimal patient selection, operative technique, long-term outcomes, minimization of potential mesh-related complications, and potential contraindications/complications for P4HB in hernia/abdominal wall reconstruction., Competing Interests: This project was sponsored by Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) of Warwick, Rhode Island (USA). CD is the owner of Covalent Bio, LLC, which received consulting fees from BD for this project, as well as other, unrelated projects. DM and AB are employees of BD. DC and ML are consultants for BD. CD reports consulting fees from C.R. Bard, Inc./Davol/Becton Dickinson (BD) during the conduct of the study. DC also reports consulting fees from C.R. Bard, Inc./Davol/Becton Dickinson (BD), Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, SurgiMatrix, Tissium, Surgical Innovation Associates, Americas Hernia Society Quality Collaborative, Colorado Therapeutics, TelaBio, Osteogenics, Polynovo, MedSkin Solutions, and Aran Biomedical outside the submitted work. In addition, CD is the owner of Covalent Bio, LLC and holds the following issued patents: 2009293001, 2334257, 2,334,257UK, 602009046407.8, 2,334,257FR, 16/043,849 and 2,737,542. DC reports consulting fees from Becton Dickinson (BD) during the conduct of this study. ML reports consulting fees from Becton Dickinson (BD) during the conduct of this study. DM reports employment by Becton Dickinson (BD) during the conduct of this study, as well as outside of the current work. AB reports employment by Becton Dickinson (BD) during the conduct of this study, as well as outside of the current work., (© 2023 Deeken, Chen, López-Cano, Martin and Badhwar.)

Introduction: Incisional hernia has an incidence of up to 20% following laparotomy and is associated with significant morbidity and impairment of quality of life. A variety of surgical strategies including techniques and mesh types are available to manage patients with incisional hernia. Previous works have reported significant heterogeneity in outcome reporting for abdominal wall herniae, including ventral and inguinal hernia. This is coupled with under-reporting of important clinical and patient-reported outcomes. The lack of standardisation in outcome reporting contributes to reporting bias, hinders evidence synthesis and adequate data comparison between studies. This project aims to develop a core outcome set (COS) of clinically important, patient-oriented outcomes to be used to guide reporting of future research in incisional hernia., Methods: This project has been designed as an international, multicentre, mixed-methods project. Phase I will be a systematic review of current literature to examine the current clinical and patient-reported outcomes for incisional hernia and abdominal wall reconstruction. Phase II will identify the outcomes of importance to all key stakeholders through in depth qualitative interviews. Phase III will achieve consensus on outcomes of most importance and for inclusion into a COS through a Delphi process. Phase IV will achieve consensus on the outcomes that should be included in a final COS., Ethics and Dissemination: The adoption of this COS into clinical and academic practice will be endorsed by the American, British and European Hernia Societies. Its utilisation in future clinical research will enable appropriate data synthesis and comparison and will enable better clinical interpretation and application of the current evidence base. This study has been registered with the Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials initiative., Prospero Registration Number: CRD42018090084., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

The adenosine A 2A receptor (A 2A R), dopamine D 2 receptor (D 2 R) and metabotropic glutamate receptor type 5 (mGluR 5 ) form A 2A R-D 2 R-mGluR 5 heteroreceptor complexes in living cells and in rat striatal neurons. In the current study, we present experimental data supporting the view that the A 2A R protomer plays a major role in the inhibitory modulation of the density and the allosteric receptor-receptor interaction within the D 2 R-mGluR 5 heteromeric component of the A 2A R-D 2 R-mGluR 5 complex in vitro and in vivo. The A 2A R and mGluR 5 protomers interact and modulate D 2 R protomer recognition and signalling upon forming a trimeric complex from these receptors. Expression of A 2A R in HEK293T cells co-expressing D 2 R and mGluR 5 resulted in a significant and marked increase in the formation of the D 2 R-mGluR 5 heteromeric component in both bioluminescence resonance energy transfer and proximity ligation assays. A highly significant increase of the the high-affinity component of D 2 R (D2R Ki High) values was found upon cotreatment with the mGluR 5 and A 2A R agonists in the cells expressing A 2A R, D 2 R and mGluR 5 with a significant effect observed also with the mGluR 5 agonist alone compared to cells expressing only D 2 R and mGluR 5 . In cells co-expressing A 2A R, D 2 R and mGluR 5 , stimulation of the cells with an mGluR 5 agonist like or D 2 R antagonist fully counteracted the D 2 R agonist-induced inhibition of the cAMP levels which was not true in cells only expressing mGluR 5 and D 2 R. In agreement, the mGluR 5 -negative allosteric modulator raseglurant significantly reduced the haloperidol-induced catalepsy in mice, and in A 2A R knockout mice, the haloperidol action had almost disappeared, supporting a functional role for mGluR 5 and A 2A R in enhancing D 2 R blockade resulting in catalepsy. The results represent a relevant example of integrative activity within higher-order heteroreceptor complexes., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Quality of life (QoL) is a matter of concern in both healthy and diseased individuals. Lifestyle factors such as physical activity and sleep have a direct impact on QoL. In this context, interactions between activity time expenditure and QoL might be different in comorbid and non comorbid patients. Besides, the quantification and evaluation of time expenditure is ordinarily measured as the absolute time devoted to each activity. The objective of this study is the evaluation of the influence and interactions of activity-relative time expenditure and co-morbidity in Physical QoL.The study involved 302 consecutive patients, from an Internal Medicine ambulatory evaluation. Validated questionnaires were used to collect demographic variables and time expenditure variables. QoL was gathered with de survey short form-36questionnaire. Comorbidity was compiled with de Charlson Comorbidity Index. SPSS v20.0 was used for statistical analysis.As hypothesized, healthy subjects had higher Physical QoL score than comorbid subjects (P < .05). Physical activity and sleep relative time expenditure were statistically significant and associated to a better QoL in comorbid patients (P < .05). Interestingly, sleep was found to have statistically significant interaction with a score of ≥2 in the Charlson Comorbidity Index. Age, gender, comorbidity, physical activity relative time expenditure, and the interaction between relative time dedicated to sleep and comorbidity were found statistically significant in a multivariate model on Physical QoL prediction.Activity-relative time expenditure could be an adequate measure of daily activity pattern in the evaluation of QoL. Relative time spent in physical activity and sleep might be positively associated to Physical QoL. Sleep and comorbidity could have a statistically significant interaction in the prediction of Physical QoL.

Systematic reviews with meta-analysis are essential tools to reliably summarize the effectiveness of health interventions. A meta-analysis based exclusively on a small number of trials will often not be conclusive or may yield false positive results. The estimation of the optimal information size (OIS) can reduce the risk of obtaining false positive results and determine if additional clinical trials are required. The estimation of the OIS is very similar to that used to estimate the sample size of a clinical trial. The required number of participants for the meta-analysis should be at least as large as a single trial with adequate power. The OIS concept provides a statistical framework in which the accumulated information is convincing to indicate whether more clinical trials are needed to address the effects of the intervention., (Copyright © 2019 AEC. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Information about surgeons' attitudes toward using prophylactic mesh (PM) for parastomal hernia (PSH) prevention is limited., Purpose: A survey was conducted to assess attitudes/beliefs and surgical practice related to PM use for preventing PSH., Methods: A cross-sectional email survey was conducted during April 2017 among members (surgeons) of the American Hernia Society, European Hernia Society, and International Hernia Collaboration. Survey items included participant demographic characteristics, knowledge about the incidence of PSH, number of permanent stomas created annually, beliefs/opinions (knowledge/interest) regarding the use of PM, and surgical practices (mesh type and position). Data were collected and tallied using SurveyMonkey. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data., Results: Of the 5445 emails sent, 497 responses were received, 235 (47.3%) from the United States and 197 (39.6%) from Europe. The majority of participants were general surgeons (371, 74.6%); a small percentage were colorectal surgeons (37, 7.4%). Most respondents (353, 71.0%) reported at least 11 years of surgical experience, with 37.3% reporting >20 years' experience. The majority of respondents (340, 68.4%) created <15 ostomies per year, more than half (252, 50.7%) consider the incidence of PSH 30% or below, and 107 (22%) use PM. The most common reason for not using mesh was concern about mesh-related complications (141, 41.5%). When asked about type of mesh, most surgeons (153/245, 62.4%) preferred permanent mesh and an open retromuscular approach (97/278, 34.9%)., Conclusion: Results of the present survey show ongoing ambiguity regarding the use of PM for PSH prevention. Education to increase awareness about the incidence of PSH and well-designed safety and effectiveness studies of preventive strategies are needed to help surgeons optimize PSH prevention strategies.

Incisional hernia is a frequent complication of midline laparotomy and enterostomal creation and is associated with high morbidity, decreased quality of life, and high costs. The International Symposium on Incisional Hernia Prevention was held October 19-20, 2017, at the InterContinental Hotel in San Francisco, CA, hosted by the Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco. One hundred and three attendees included general and plastic surgeons from 9 countries, including principal participants for several of the seminal studies in the field. Over the course of the 2-day meeting, there were 38 oral presentations, 3 keynote lectures, and 2 panel discussions. The Symposium was a combination of new information but also a comprehensive review of the existing data so as to assess the current state of the field and to set the stage for future research. Further, the Symposium sought to increase awareness and thus emphasize the importance of preventing the formation of incisional and enterostomal hernias., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Incisional hernia often occurs following laparotomy and can be a source of serious problems. Although there is evidence that a biological cause may underlie its development, the mechanistic link between the local tissue microenvironment and tissue rupture is lacking. In this study, we used matched tissue-based and in vitro primary cell culture systems to examine the possible involvement of fascia fibroblasts in incisional hernia pathogenesis. Fascia biopsies were collected at surgery from incisional hernia patients and non-incisional hernia controls. Tissue samples were analyzed by histology and immunoblotting methods. Fascia primary fibroblast cultures were assessed at morphological, ultrastructural, and functional levels. We document tissue and fibroblast loss coupled to caspase-3 activation and induction of apoptosis-like cell-death mechanisms in incisional hernia fascia. Alterations in cytoskeleton organization and solubility were also observed. Incisional hernia fibroblasts showed a consistent phenotype throughout early passages in vitro, which was characterized by significantly enhanced cell proliferation and migration, reduced adhesion, and altered cytoskeleton properties, as compared to non-incisional hernia fibroblasts. Moreover, incisional hernia fibroblasts displayed morphological and ultrastructural alterations compatible with autophagic processes or lysosomal dysfunction, together with enhanced sensitivity to proapoptotic challenges. Overall, these data suggest an ongoing complex interplay of cell death induction, aberrant fibroblast function, and tissue loss in incisional hernia fascia, which may significantly contribute to altered matrix maintenance and tissue rupture in vivo., (Copyright © 2011 American Society for Investigative Pathology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Incisional hernia is a common and important complication of laparotomies. Epidemiological studies allude to an underlying biological cause, at least in a subset of population. Interest has mainly focused on abnormal collagen metabolism. However, the role played by other determinants of extracellular matrix (ECM) composition is unknown. To date, there are few laboratory studies investigating the importance of biological factors contributing to incisional hernia development. We performed a descriptive tissue-based analysis to elucidate the possible relevance of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs) in association with local cytokine induction in human incisional hernia tissues. The expression profiles of MMPs, TIMPs and pro-inflammatory cytokine signalling were investigated in aponeurosis and skeletal muscle specimens taken intraoperatively from incisional hernia (n= 10) and control (n= 10) patients. Semiquantitative RT-PCR, zymography and immunoblotting analyses were done. Incisional hernia samples displayed alterations in the microstructure and loss of ECM, as assessed by histological analyses. Moreover, incisional hernia tissues showed increased MMP/TIMP ratios and de-regulated inflammatory signalling (tumor necrosis factor [TNFA] and interleukin [IL]-6 tended to increase, whereas aponeurosis TNFA receptors decreased). The changes were tissue-specific and were detectable at the mRNA and/or protein level. Statistical analyses showed several associations between individual MMPs, TIMPs, interstitial collagens and inflammatory markers. The increment of MMPs in the absence of a counterbalance by TIMPs, together with an ongoing de-regulated inflammatory signalling, may contribute in inducing a functional defect of the ECM network by post-translational mechanisms, which may trigger abdominal wall tissue loss and eventual rupture. The notable TIMP3 protein down-regulation in incisional hernia fascia may be of pathophysiological significance. We conclude that this study may help to pinpoint novel hypotheses of pathogenesis that can lead to a better understanding of the disease and ultimately to improvement in current therapeutic approaches.

Background: Chagas disease is a frequent cause of acquired megacolon in several countries of Latin America. Several procedures have been described to treat this condition. Recently a report of 147 patients treated with an open rectosigmoidectomy with an ileal loop interposition showed a low rate of complications (8.5 percent) and recurrence (3.1 percent).1, Technique: We present the video of a 42-year-old Latin American man who had a diagnosis of chagasic megacolon and was treated with the technique described by Netinho et al. 1 but with the use of laparoscopy. The patient was placed in a supine modified lithotomy position in Allen stirrups; the monitor was placed near the left leg of the patient, and both the surgeon and the assistant stood at the right side of the patient. Four trocars were used. Exploratory laparoscopy was performed. The proximal third of the rectum, sigmoid, and left colon were fully mobilized. Vascular pedicles were sectioned. The rectum was divided by using a linear laparoscopic cutter. A Pfannensteil incision was made and the colon was proximally divided. An ileal loop was interposed isoperistaltically between the descending colon and the rectum. Both the ileoileal and the ileocolic anastomoses were handsewn, and the distal ileorectal anastomoses were performed with a circular stapler under laparoscopic control. The patient is without symptoms or recurrence one year after the surgery., Conclusions: Laparoscopic approach allows the easy and correct dissection of the lateral attachments and offers the advantages of a more cosmetic and less painful procedure. Laparoscopic rectosigmoidectomy with ileal loop interposition is a technique that can be performed by laparoscopy with good results and should be an option in the treatment of chagasic megacolon.

Background and Aims: The use of prophylactic antibiotics in addition to mechanical cleansing is the current standard of care prior to colonic surgery. The question of whether the antibiotics should be administered intravenously or orally, or by both routes, remains controversial. Our aim was to compare three methods of prophylactic antibiotic administration in elective colorectal surgery., Methods: Three hundred consecutive elective colorectal resections were studied. All patients had preoperative mechanical colon cleansing with oral sodium phosphate and intravenous antibiotic prophylaxis with cefoxitin (one dose before skin incision and two postoperative doses). Patients were randomised to one of the following three groups: group A: three doses of oral antibiotic (neomycin and metronidazole) at the time of mechanical colon cleansing; group B: one dose of oral antibiotic; group C: no oral antibiotics. All patients were followed during their hospital stay and at 7, 14 and 30 days post-surgery., Results: Vomiting occurred in 31%, 11% and 9% of the studied patients (groups A, B and C, respectively) (p<0.001). Nausea was present in 44%, 18% and 13% of patients (p<0.001). Abdominal pain was recorded in 13%, 10% and 4% of patients (p: 0.077). Wound infection was present in 7%, 8% and 6% and suture dehiscence occurred in 2%, 2% and 3% of the patients in the three groups (no differences among them). Neither were differences found among the three groups in terms of urinary infections, pneumonia, postoperative ileus or intra-abdominal abscess., Conclusion: The addition of three doses of oral antibiotics to intravenous antibiotic prophylaxis is associated with lower patient tolerance in terms of increased nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain, and has shown no advantages in the prevention of postoperative septic complications. Therefore, we recommend that oral antibiotics should not be used prior to colorectal surgery.