Preoperative Botulinum Toxin A Injection in the Management of Giant Scrotal Hernia with Loss of Domain: A Volumetric and Clinical Case Study
<b>Introduction:</b> Botulinum toxin type A (BTA) has emerged as a preoperative adjunct in complex ventral hernia repair, particularly in cases with loss of domain (LOD), yet volumetric evidence of its effect on abdominal wall geometry remains scarce.<b>Aim:</b> To evaluate the impact of BTA on abdominal cavity expansion and lateral muscle elongation in a patient with extreme LOD using volumetric computed tomography (CT) and geometric modeling.<b>Materials and methods:</b> A 61-year-old male with a giant left scrotal hernia and LOD (Tanaka index >25%) underwent BTA injections into the lateral abdominal wall, followed by CT imaging pre- and post-treatment. 3D reconstructions were generated to assess intra-abdominal volume and muscle lengths at three anatomical levels.<b>Results:</b> Abdominal cavity volume increased by 28.1% (13.74 L to 17.61 L), allowing safe visceral reintegration without abdominal compartment syndrome. The transversus abdominis exhibited the most pronounced elongation and volume gain (up to 329% elongation, 62% volume increase), while the external and internal obliques showed elongation with concurrent volume loss. The least elongation occurred at the costal level, highlighting anatomical rigidity in this region.<b>Discussion:</b> The results confirm that BTA-induced elongation varies by muscle and anatomical location. Minimal elongation at the subcostal level aligns with the known difficulty in closing M1-type hernias due to restricted superior abdominal wall mobility.<b>Conclusions:</b> BTA facilitated fascial closure by altering abdominal wall mechanics and increasing the intra-abdominal domain.<b>Significance:</b> This study is the first to combine volumetric and geometric modeling to objectively quantify BTA's mechanical impact, offering new insights into patient selection and planning for hernia repair with LOD.
Authors
- Katarzyna Szepietowska (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5495-7292)
- Mateusz Zamkowski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9847-4188)
- Aleksandra Kondrusik
- Wiktoria Korbut
- Michał Putko
- Maciej Śmietański
- Zuzanna Iwicka
Institutions
- Gdańsk University of Technology (PL)
- Hernia Center (US)
- Gdańsk Medical University (PL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Polish Journal of Surgery
- Published
- 2025-10-07
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.5604/01.3001.0055.3078
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Hernia repair and management
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.01