Trocar‐site incisional hernia after 8‐mm robotic trocar placement: A prospective study.

Background: The current literature supports the closure of trocar sites ≥10‐mm for the risk of developing incisional hernias, while there is no need to suture the abdominal fascia when using 5‐mm trocars. To date, evidence regarding the closure of 8‐mm trocars that are use by new robotic systems is weak. The aim of our study was to investigate the incidence of incisional hernia for 8‐mm trocars. Methods: We prospectively collected data on all patients undergoing robotic‐assisted abdominal wall surgery from 2020 to 2023, in whom the abdominal fascia of all 8‐mm trocars was not closed. The enrolled patients underwent a follow‐up visit during which we conducted clinical and sonographic evaluations of all 8‐mm trocars, in addition to assessing the satisfaction levels of the patients. The primary outcome was the incidence of port‐site hernia. Results: We enrolled 166 patients, 155 men and 11 women, for a total of 513 trocars accessed. Mean age was 61.1 ± 14.0 years, and mean BMI was 27.0 ± 3.9 kg/m2. The follow‐up visits were carried out after a median follow‐up of 14.5 (9.0–23.2) months. Only one case developed an asymptomatic 1 × 1 cm supra‐umbilical hernia that was not treated. Patient reported a satisfaction regarding the 8‐mm trocars and skin sutures of 9.8 ± 0.5 out of 10 points. Conclusions: The occurrence of a trocar‐site hernia after 8‐mm robotic access is extremely low. Hence, the fascia closure may not be necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]