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Comparison of Extended Totally Extra-peritoneal Repair (ETEP) and Subcutaneous On-lay Endoscopic Approach (SCOLA) for Para-umbilical Hernia (PUH).

Comparison of Extended Totally Extra Peritoneal Repair (ETEP) and Subcutaneous Onlay Endoscopic Approach (SCOLA) for the Treatment of Para Umbilical Hernias (PUH) in Terms of Intraoperative Factors(Operative Time, Hernial Contents, Divarication of Recti, Conversion to Any Other Technique) and Postoperative Complications( Surgical Site Infection, Seroma Formation, Postoperative Pain, Rescue Analgesia, Drain Output)

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT07434687
Enrollment
86
Registered
2026-02-25
Start date
2023-11-01
Completion date
2026-09-01
Last updated
2026-02-25

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Paraumbilical Hernia

Brief summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if one of two surgical techniques works better for treating paraumbilical hernias in adult men and women between 18 and 65 years old. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does one technique lead to fewer complications after surgery, such as infection or fluid buildup (seroma)? Does one technique result in less pain or a shorter operating time? Researchers will compare the ETEP repair group to the SCOLA repair group to see if one method leads to better outcomes for patients. Participants will: Be randomly assigned to receive either the ETEP or SCOLA surgical repair. Have their surgery and recovery tracked by the research team. Attend follow-up visits for up to six months to check for any complications.

Interventions

PROCEDUREExtended Totally Extra Peritoneal Repair

The eTEP (Extended Totally Extra-Peritoneal) approach is a minimally invasive "keyhole" surgery for repairing hernias like paraumbilical hernias. Its core principle is to access the area behind the abdominal muscles without entering the main abdominal cavity. The surgeon creates a workspace between the muscle and its inner lining. A key step is crossing behind the midline to access both sides of the abdomen. The hernia is pushed back into place, and the inner lining is closed. A standard, low-cost mesh is then placed in this space behind the muscles to reinforce the abdominal wall, where it is held in place by natural pressure. Key advantages include using inexpensive mesh without risky bowel contact, potentially leading to less pain. The main challenges are a steep learning curve and longer initial operating times due to the technically complex dissection in a confined space.

PROCEDURESubcutaneous On-Lay Endoscopic Approach

The Subcutaneous Onlay Endoscopic Approach (SCOLA) is a minimally invasive technique for repairing hernias near the belly button. In this approach, the surgeon works in the fatty layer between the skin and the abdominal muscles. After pushing the hernia back into place, the hole in the abdominal wall is stitched closed. A large mesh is then placed in this fatty layer, just in front of the muscles, to act as a strong reinforcement patch. The main benefit is that the mesh never touches the internal organs, eliminating the risk of bowel complications. However, creating this space under the skin carries a significant risk of fluid buildup (seroma), which often requires a temporary drain after surgery.

Sponsors

King Edward Medical University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Adults of the age group from 18 to 65 years * Patients of both genders admittes with the diagnosis of para-umbilical Hernias through the outdoor department, documented on clinical examination by a consultant general surgeon.

Exclusion criteria

* Patients with a hernial defect more than 5cm, documented in the perioperative findings * Patients with complicated hernias, including irreducible and obstructed varieties, documented on clinical findings. * Patients who require abdominoplasty, opinion given by the operative surgeon. * Patients with intermediate to high risk of MACE during the surgery, documented on the fitness form filled by the cardiology team. * Patients with previous midline incision or laparotomy, documented on clinical examination.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Operative Time4 hoursOperative time will include time from the first incision to approximation of skin by skin stapler.
Conversion to Any Other Procedure4 hoursIf the operating surgeon has to shift the operative technique to IPOM or open hernia repair then this will be considered as conversion to any other procedure.
Seroma Formation6 monthsCollection of serous fluid at the operative site after hernia repair surgery within 30 days once the drains placed at the site of surgery would been out.
Surgical Site Infection1 monthIf a Patient presents with hyperemia and pus discharge from wound within 30 days of operation requiring opening of wound or change in antibiotics will be labeled as surgical site infection.
Hernial contents4 hoursHernial contents will include fat, omentum or bowel.
Divarication of recti4 hoursDivarication of recti An inter recti distance more than 2cm will be considered as diastasis of recti.
Postoperative pain6 monthPostoperative pain Postoperative pain will be assessed by the visual analogue score( 0-10) with zero showing no pain and 10 showing maximum pain.
Rescue analgesia1 monthRescue analgesia Rescue analgesia will include injection nalbuphine 3mg given for breakthrough pain. VAS score more than 4 will be considered as breakthrough pain. It will be measured as rescue analgesia given or not.
Drain out put1 monthDrain output Drain output will include amount and type of fluid (blood, serous, serosanginous,). Drains will be removed when drain out will be less than 25ml over 24h. Drain output more than 100ml will be considered as high drain output and less than 100ml will be considered as low output. Drain out put will be measured as high output or low output.

Countries

Pakistan

Contacts

CONTACTKashaan Azeem, MBBS
Kashanazeem15@gmail.com+923488676336
CONTACTAhmed U Qureshi, FCPS
ahmeduzairq@gmail.com+923144001410
STUDY_CHAIRAhmed U Qureshi, FCPS

King Edward Medical University

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 27, 2026