HEDI: First-Time Clinical Application and Results of a Biomechanical Evaluation and Visualisation Tool for Incisional Hernia Repair

Abdominal wall defects often lead to pain, discomfort, and recurrence of incisional hernias, resulting in significant morbidity and repeated surgical repairs worldwide. Mesh repair for large hernias is usually based on the defect area with a fixed overlap, without considering biomechanical aspects such as muscle activation, intra-abdominal pressure, tissue elasticity, and abdominal wall distention. To address this issue, we present a biomechanical approach to incisional hernia repair that takes into account the unstable abdominal wall. Additionally, we introduce HEDI, a tool that uses dynamic computed tomography with Valsalva maneuver to automatically detect and assess hernia size, volume, and abdominal wall instability. Our first clinical application of HEDI in the preoperative evaluation of 31 patients shows significantly improved success rates compared to reported rates, with all patients remaining pain-free and showing no hernia recurrence after three years of follow-up.