Shear-Wave Elastography

Launched by PRISMA HEALTH-UPSTATE · Mar 5, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This is a prospective, non-randomized study looking at whether a special ultrasound test called shear wave elastography (SWE) can predict how stretchy the abdominal wall is in people with a midline incisional hernia who are planned for open repair. The researchers will measure how stiff the abdominal muscles are, and then see whether those measurements relate to how much muscle/fascial release is needed during surgery to bring the fascia to the middle and to how much tension is felt when closing the area. The goal is to use SWE to help predict surgical difficulty and possibly improve outcomes.

About who can participate: adults 18 and older with a midline ventral or incisional hernia who plan an open retromuscular repair are eligible. Key exclusions include having had a prior mesh repair, certain hernia types, infection or contamination, or plans for a non-mesh repair. The study aims to enroll about 70 people and includes two control groups: people without an incisional hernia or prior laparotomy, and people without a hernia who are undergoing elective midline laparotomy, to compare ultrasound results. All study participants will have SWE ultrasound imaging, and study patients will undergo the planned hernia repair with mesh and intraoperative tension testing to see how SWE measurements relate to real surgical needs. The study is currently enrolling by invitation, with completion estimated in 2026.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Patients \>18 y/o.
• • Midline ventral / incisional hernia.
• • Plan for open retromuscular incisional hernia repair.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Prior VHR with mesh.
• • Isolated subxiphoid (European Hernia Society (EHS) classification M1) or suprapubic hernias (EHS classification M5)
• • History of flank incisions. M1 (midline position 1) is defined as the xiphoid process down to a point 3cm below the xiphoid. M5 (midline position 5) is defined as the pubis to a point 3cm above the pubis.
• • Infected / contaminated cases.
• • Plan for robotic, laparoscopic, or open onlay repair, or plan for primary (non-mesh) repair.