Reducing the Incidence of Incisional Hernia After Stoma Closure Using a Prophylactic Mesh

Background: Preliminary studies have shown that application of a prophylactic mesh during stoma closure reduces the incidence of incisional hernia at site of stoma closure. Methods/Design: The study will be a randomized controlled single-blinded monocentric study determining the 1-year incidence of incisional hernia in cancer patients undergoing ileostomy or colostomy closure with or without prophylactic non-absorbable mesh applied in the sublay position. Discussion: Prevention of incisional hernia at site of stoma closure will lead to an improvement in patients' quality of life and generating savings for healthcare systems. To date, no randomized controlled trial assessing the effect of prophylactic mesh applied during stoma closure on the prevention of incisional hernia has been published. With the present randomized controlled trial, we expect to demonstrate that the application of a prophylactic mesh reduces the one-year incidence of incisional hernia at site of stoma closure.