Management of parastomal hernias

Stoma formation is a common aspect of general, colorectal, urologic, and oncologic surgical practice. Unfortunately, hernia formation around an ostomy trephine occurs in up to 50% of ostomates. In an era of explosive progress in abdominal wall surgery, parastomal hernia repairs remain plagued with technical challenges, high recurrence rates, and peri-operative morbidity. There is little expert consensus on the ideal operation. Repair type (suture or mesh based), surgical approach (laparoscopic, robotic, hybrid, or open), mesh configuration (cruciate, keyhole, or Sugarbaker), mesh type (permanent synthetic, biologic, or bioabsorbable), mesh location (underlay, sublay, or onlay) vary based on local expertise and patient clinical factors. This article will summarize the current literature on the management of parastomal hernias and provide expert commentary on our preferred practices for parastomal hernia repair.