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Review
. 2024 Oct 17:3:13506.
doi: 10.3389/jaws.2024.13506. eCollection 2024.

Is There a Clinical Benefit of Abdominal Binders After Abdominal Surgery: A Systematic Literature Review

Nicolas Michot  1 , Pablo Ortega-Deballon  2 , Elias Karam  1 , Urs Pabst-Giger  3 , Mehdi Ouaissi  1
Affiliations
Review

Is There a Clinical Benefit of Abdominal Binders After Abdominal Surgery: A Systematic Literature Review

Nicolas Michot et al. J Abdom Wall Surg. .

Abstract

Background: The incidence of incisional hernia following laparotomy varies between 2% and 30%. It is well-established that the need to control several risk factors prior to surgery exists (weight loss before surgery, diabetes control). Postoperative abdominal binder (AB) is often recommended by surgeons, yet evidence on this topic is lacking. The aim of this review was to present current evidence on the use of abdominal binders after abdominal surgery.

Material and methods: A comprehensive literature review between January and May 2024 was conducted using a range of search engines, including PubMed, Science Direct, EMBASE, Google Scholar, and Google. The following keywords were used: "abdominal binder," "abdominal support," "hernia," "girdle and hernia," "compression belt and hernia," and "abdominal support and hernia."

Results: Sixteen articles were selected for further analysis (7 RCTs, 6 non-RCTs and 3 meta-analyses). None of the studies reported a reduction in the incidence of abdominal dehiscence or incisional hernia. Postoperative use of the AB has been shown to reduce postoperative discomfort and pain for a limited period of up to 48-72 h. There was no discernible difference in the incidence of surgical site complications.

Conclusion: The current evidence indicates that the use of AB following abdominal surgery is safe, although no benefit has been established (except 48 h after surgery). AB may enhance comfort in select patients; however, further studies are necessary to justify their routine use, with a particular focus on the medical and economic implications.

Keywords: abdominal binders; abdominal surgery; laparotomy; postoperative complications; postoperative pain.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
PRISMA 2020 flow diagram. RCT = Randomised controlled trial.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
ROBINS-I tool for risk of bias assessment.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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