Preoperative Botulinum Toxin A to Facilitate Midline Closure in Large Chronic Ventral Hernias
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Posterior Component Separation (PCS) with TAR, Rives-Stoppa.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Hernia. Basic parameters: from 18 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Italy
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
Prehabilitation With Botulinum Toxin A in Complex Hernia: an Italian Prospective Study on Predictive Scores of Myofascial Release.
Overview
In patients with large hernias, chronic retraction of the lateral abdominal wall muscles, and visceral contents that are irreducible within the hernia sac, closure of the midline can be difficult or even impossible. Component separation techniques (CST), in combination with transversus abdominis release (TAR), increase the flexibility of the abdominal wall and facilitate fascial medialization. However, these techniques alter the anatomy of the abdominal wall and are associated with higher risks of wound complications, abdominal wall disruption, and abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS). Recently, the preoperative injection of Botulinum Toxin A (BTA) has been proposed as an effective form of chemical component separation of the muscles, or more precisely, chemical relaxation. It has been hypothesized that preoperative chemical paralysis of the lateral abdominal wall muscles through BTA increases abdominal wall compliance and facilitates fascial medialization, thereby reducing the need to resort to CST. However, the current literature still lacks studies evaluating the impact of BTA on predictive scores for myofascial release and the correlation with intraoperative strategies.
Interventions
- Procedure Posterior Component Separation (PCS) with TAR
Posterior Component Separation (PCS) with Transversus Abdominis Release (TAR) is an intraoperative surgical technique performed by the surgeon when a standard retromuscular repair, such as the Rives-Stoppa technique, does not allow for tension-free midline closure. In such cases, additional myofascial release is required, and PCS with TAR is subsequently performed to achieve adequate medial advancement of the abdominal wall components and enable secure, tension-free closure of the midline defect - Procedure Rives-Stoppa
Rives-Stoppa repair is a retromuscular abdominal wall reconstruction technique used when primary fascial closure can be achieved without the need for additional myofascial release. It represents a less invasive approach compared to component separation techniques, such as Posterior Component Separation with Transversus Abdominis Release (PCS with TAR), and is performed in cases where tension-free midline closure is feasible using a standard retromuscular plane dissection.
Primary outcome measures
- Improvement in Preoperative Indices Following Botulinum Toxin A Injection [Time frame: Enrollment, 4 weeks after BTA injection, and 12 months after surgery]
Secondary outcome measures (1)
- Association Between Changes in Preoperative Indices After Botulinum Toxin A Injection and Surgical Strategy Selection. [Time frame: until the end of the study]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Participant is willing and able to give informed consent for participation in the trial
- Compliance to follow-up
- Male and female
- Written informed consent to preoperative BTA injection and/or surgery
- Age 18 years old
- Primary ventral hernia
- Incisional ventral hernia
- RDR < 2
- Defect width 10 cm
- Loss of domain (LoD) 20%
Exclusion criteria
- Medical or psychiatric conditions that compromises the patient's ability to give informed
- consent or comply with the study protocol
- Personal reasons
- Age < 18 years old
- RDR ≥ 2
- Defect width < 10 cm
- LoD < 20%
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Allergy/Intolerance to BTA
- Neuromuscular disorders and diseases
- Refuse to give informed consent to preoperative BTA injection and/or surgery
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- Non-randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
Study locations
Italy · 1 center
- Asst Ovest Milanese — Legnano
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07628205 · 57-2024 · 2025-522451-25-00