Incisional heRnia dIgestion Sexuality

After an operation on the abdomen, some patients present with an incisional hernia(incisional hernia) which causes a permanent exteriorization of the vicera. This situation is at the origin of postural problems. Surgery which consists both of reducing pain and correcting the functional limitation and aesthetic damage helps restore normal anatomy and improve muscle tension of the wall, restore the musculoskeletal balance of the trunk and thus the cardio-respiratory and motor functions of patients. The resulting benefits on quality of life and reduction of chronic pain have been demonstrated by several studies. This study tends to better understand the functional and sexual prejudices linked to these parietal pathologies by passing questionnaires to the operated patients

Almost 20% of patients operated on the abdomen will present with an incisional hernia and each year in France, more than 50,000 patients are operated on for an eventration with placement of a parietal mesh. These incisional hernia, corresponding to the permanent exteriorization of the abdominal viscera contained in a peritoneal sac through a scar muscle defect in the abdominal wall, are responsible for major anatomical and physiological alterations affecting the respiratory, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems. Sometimes the hernia sac is so large that the viscera have lost their place in the abdomen . The presence of a large protrusion of the anterior abdomen alters the patient's center of gravity, affecting his ambulation and posture Thus, surgical repair of the abdomen, indicated to correct chronic pain, functional limitation and cosmetic damage related to incisional hernia, helps restore normal anatomy and improve muscle tension of the wall, restore the musculoskeletal balance of the trunk and thus the cardio-respiratory and motor functions of the patients. The consequent benefits on the quality of life and the reduction of chronic pain have been demonstrated by several studies, including a randomized trial \[Rogmark, but certain aspects of the functional limitations linked to the presence of an eventration have never been studied (not published), as well as their specific impact on quality of life. In fact, the daily experience of the management of these pathologies suggests that most patients with an abdominal wall problem, on the one hand, evoke difficulties to exonerate (abdominal pushing efforts are rendered ineffective due to the leakage of abdominal pressure in the incisional hernia sac, sometimes forcing patients to contain their stomachs by manual maneuvers or to wear an abdominal belt) and on the other hand difficulty having sexual intercourse (gene linked to the protrusion of abdomen, impaired body image and self-esteem). Thus, a better knowledge of the actual digestive and sexual functional damage linked to these parietal pathologies, will make it possible to optimize the care of patients who will be better informed about their disease and the benefits they can expect from parietal repair (ease of having a bowel movement, improvement of sex life, benefits on quality of life).