2018 Volume 54 Issue 2 Pages 242-247
Purpose: Although the usefulness of compression therapy with a sponge has recently been reported, the efficacy of this therapy has not been examined. Therefore, we retrospectively investigated its efficacy.
Methods: We examined the cases of umbilical hernia at our hospital between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2016, and followed up the patients after the therapy. The patients were classified into two groups on the basis of therapy efficacy, namely, the closed group and unclosed group. We examined the patients’ gender, hernia type, gestational age, birth weight, age at start of therapy, umbilical hernia maximum diameter, hernia orifice maximum diameter, therapy period, and age at hernia closure. Data were analyzed using the JMP® Pro 13.0.0 software program, and P < 0.05 was considered significant.
Results: Among the 1,866 patients diagnosed with umbilical hernia, 1,286 were able to be followed up after the therapy. The closed group comprised 1,134 patients (88.2%), and the unclosed group comprised 152 patients (11.8%). Significant differences were found between the groups in terms of the hernia type, gestational age, birth weight, age at start of therapy, therapy period, and age at hernia closure. In addition, the cut-off values for therapy period and age at hernia closure were 144 days and 321 days old, respectively.
Conclusions: The lower the gestational age, the higher the rate of hernia orifice closure. Similarly, the smaller the birth weight, the higher the rate. The supraumbilical type has a lower rate than the typical middle type. When the compression therapy is performed, the rate decreases after the age of 11 months. When the compression therapy period exceeds 4.8 months, the rate decreases.
