Peritoneal sandwich technique: a novel technique in the treatment of large ventral hernias

Patients were subjected to a nutritional assessment and weight reduction regime in the preceding 3 months of the surgery. All patients were operated on under general anaesthesia with prophylactic antibiotic cover. The skin incisions were made over the previous scars for the incisional hernial repairs (except for one patient where a transverse incision was made for a previous vertical laparotomy scar). Vertical midline incisions were made for the para-umbilical hernial repairs.