The Danish Ventral Hernia Database – a valuable tool for quality assessment and research

Figures & data

Table 1 Variables in the Danish Ventral Hernia Database

Type	Variable	Drop-down menu one	Drop-down menu two
Demography	Surgical department
	Surgeon’s initials
	Sex
	Age
	Date of repair
	Comorbidity	Organ dysfunction requiring medical treatment
Hernia specifications	Surgical setting	Elective or emergent
	Primary or recurrent	Number of recurrence
	Type of hernia	Incisional	Orientation of primary incision
		Umbilical
		Epigastric
		Parastomal
		Trocar-site
		Other	Specification
	Number of hernia defects
	Size of hernia	Maximum transverse and longitudinal diameter
Procedure specifications	Open, laparoscopic, or laparoscopic converted to open
	Component separation	Uni/bilateral
		Endoscopic or open
	Sutured repair of defect	Type of suture
	Mesh repair	Product name and type
		Mesh position	Onlay, sublay, inlay, intraperitoneal, other
		Mesh fixation	Sutures, tackers, other
	Antibiotic prophylaxis

Table 2 Quality indicators in the Danish Ventral Hernia Database following ventral hernia repair

Indicator	Specification	Results, year 2014	Recommended standard
Duration of hospital stay	Duration of admission after initial hernia repair	Median 0 days (inter-quartile range: 0–1 days)	<4 days
Readmission	30-day readmission rate	9% (95% confidence interval: 9%–10%)	<15%
Early reoperation	30-day reoperation rate for complication	3.1% (95% confidence interval: 2.6%–3.7%)	<5%
Mortality	30-day mortality rate	0.4 (95% confidence interval: 0.3%–0.7%)	<0.5%