The use of botulinum toxin in ventral hernia repair

Postoperative ventral hernias are a common complication after abdominal surgery. The number of surgical interventions in the Russian Federation for postoperative ventral hernia in 2023 increased by 11.9% compared to 2022. One of the promising methods of preoperative preparation in patients with giant ventral hernia is the use of botulinum toxin type A injections into the anterior abdominal wall. However, despite promising results, botulinum toxin has not been incorporated into the routine standards of treatment for ventral hernias due to the lack of long-term results and the small number of multicentre studies. Discussions about its use continue in the scientific community at present. The aim of this literature review was to review and analyse publications on the use of botulinum toxin type A in the surgical treatment of patients with postoperative ventral hernia. The literature review showed that the use of botulinum toxin reduces the need for separation techniques of the anterior abdominal wall components and contributes to the reduction of surgical complexity, as well as reduces the incidence of hernia recurrence.