ClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT06367309ALPINEUpdated Jul 24, 2026

ExtrAperitoneaL Plasty vs Intraperitoneal oNlay mEsh in Ventral Hernia Repair

An interventional study of Extended totally extraperitoneal repair and Intraperitoneal onlay mesh in Ventral Hernia and Abdominal Wall Defect, sponsored by University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland. Recruiting at 1 site in Switzerland. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-07-24.

Sponsored by University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Jul 2024; still recruiting 2 years 4 months later.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
138
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This study investigates on the effect of two different operative techniques to treat abdominal wall hernias.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if the eTEP (Extended totally extraperitoneal repair) technique leads to a better outcome than the IPOM (Intraperitoneal onlay mesh) technique.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • pain after the operation
  • rate of complications
  • rate of recurrence and reoperations
  • quality of life.

Participants will:

Either be operated using the eTEP or the IPOM technique. Be followed up either in person or via email / phone call at day 1, day 7, day 14, 6 weeks, 6 months, 1, 3 and 5 years after the surgery to asses the above-stated main and some more outcomes.

02

Conditions studied

  • Ventral Hernia
  • Abdominal Wall Defect

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03

In context

Hernia, Ventral

230 studies on the registry are indexed under Hernia, Ventral; 45 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 138 is above the median of 90 across 153 interventional studies indexed under Hernia, Ventral.

Browse Hernia, Ventral studies →

Lead sponsor

University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland is the lead sponsor of 990 studies on the registry; 189 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Patient age >18 years
  • obtained
  • Primary or incisional ventral hernia
  • Epigastric, umbilical or infraumbilical ventral hernias with transversal diameter >1cm and \</= 4cm, +/- rectus diastasis which doesn't demand specific treatment
  • If multiple hernias: cumulative transversal diameter \</= 4cm
  • Considered eligible for minimally-invasive approach

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Subxyphoidal or suprapubic hernias
  • precedent hernia treatment with mesh placement in the retromuscular space
  • liver disease defined by the presence of ascites
  • end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis
  • need of an emergency surgery
  • pregnancy
  • need of rectus diastasis treatment intraoperatively

Criteria for participating surgeons

- Each participating surgeon has performed 20 or more laparoscopic IPOM procedures and 20 or more eTEP procedures.

Terms in these criteria, in plain language(1)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Double (Participant, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
138 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    eTEP (Extended totally extraperitoneal repair)

    The anterior rectus sheath is incised and the retromuscular space is entered through the rectus muscle fibres. The capnopreperitoneum is established and blunt dissection of the retromuscular space is performed. Two additional laparoscopic ports are established 8-10cm lateral to the linea alba caudally to the initial port. The medial border of the rectus sheath is incised and the preperitoneal space below the linea alba is dissected. The hernia orifice is also dissected from peritoneum and preperitoneal fatty tissue. The medial border of the right retromuscular space is then incised and blunt dissection is performed. The hernia orifice is closed with barbed suture and a synthetic mesh is placed on the posterior sheath of the dissected space (intended Mesh-defect ratio 16). The mesh is fixed non-traumatically using glubran glue or no fixation at all.

    Procedure: Extended totally extraperitoneal repair

  • Active comparator
    IPOM (intraperitoneal onlay mesh)

    Capnoperitoneum is established through left sided subcostal Veress-Needle punction. Three laparoscopic ports are placed 8-10cm lateral to the linea alba usually on the patient's left side. The peritoneum is incised and detached from the umbilical and supraumbilical linea alba. The peritoneum including the hernia sac and preperitoneal fat is resected. The hernia orifice is then closed using a barbed suture. A coated mesh is than placed to the ventral abdominal wall covering the closed hernia orifices (intended mesh-defect-ratio: 16). The mesh is fixed with two transfacial absorbable sutures and several absorbable tackers placed in double crown technique around the hernia orifice. The capnoperitoneum is released, the trocars removed and the fascia closed with an absorbable suture. The skin is sutured with absorbable sutures.

    Procedure: Intraperitoneal onlay mesh

Interventions

  • ProcedureExtended totally extraperitoneal repair

    The anterior rectus sheath is incised and the retromuscular space is entered through the rectus muscle fibres. The capnopreperitoneum is established and blunt dissection of the retromuscular space is performed. Two additional laparoscopic ports are established 8-10cm lateral to the linea alba caudally to the initial port. The medial border of the rectus sheath is incised and the preperitoneal space below the linea alba is dissected. The hernia orifice is also dissected from peritoneum and preperitoneal fatty tissue. The medial border of the right retromuscular space is then incised and blunt dissection is performed. The hernia orifice is closed with barbed suture and a synthetic mesh is placed on the posterior sheath of the dissected space (intended Mesh-defect ratio 16). The mesh is fixed non-traumatically using glubran glue or no fixation at all.

  • ProcedureIntraperitoneal onlay mesh

    Capnoperitoneum is established through left sided subcostal Veress-Needle punction. Three laparoscopic ports are placed 8-10cm lateral to the linea alba usually on the patient's left side. The peritoneum is incised and detached from the umbilical and supraumbilical linea alba. The peritoneum including the hernia sac and preperitoneal fat is resected. The hernia orifice is then closed using a barbed suture. A coated mesh is than placed to the ventral abdominal wall covering the closed hernia orifices (intended mesh-defect-ratio: 16). The mesh is fixed with two transfacial absorbable sutures and several absorbable tackers placed in double crown technique around the hernia orifice. The capnoperitoneum is released, the trocars removed and the fascia closed with an absorbable suture. The skin is sutured with absorbable sutures.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. primary outcome: pain numeric rating scale (NRS)

    pain, measured on the numeric rating scale (NRS) 0 - 10 24 hours after the surgical procedure.

    Time frame: 24 hours

  2. pain outcome using the Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Pain Intensity Short Form 3a

    pain, measured using the Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Pain Intensity Short Form 3a 24 hours after the surgical procedure

    Time frame: 24 hours

Secondary outcomes

  1. pain mid-term

    pain, measured on the visual analog scale (NRS) 0 - 10 and using the Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Pain Intensity Short Form 3a after 7days, 14 days, 6 weeks, 6 and 12 months (NRS 0-10)

    Time frame: 12 months

  2. recurrence and reoperation

    Long-term outcome at 3 and 5 years with assessment of the number of patients with clinical and / or radiological recurrences and with assessment of the number of patients who needed reoperations for either recurrences or other reasons such as mechanical bowel obstructions

    Time frame: 5 years

  3. LOS

    Length of hospital stay

    Time frame: 30 days

  4. Functional recovery

    Functional recovery measured using the European Quality of Life 5 Dimensions 5 Level (EQ-5D-5L) Questionnaire at 7 and 14 days, 6 weeks, 6 months, 1, 3 and 5 years. The questionnaire uses 5 questions describing the patients health \& abilities on that particular day and a visual analogue scale question (0 = worst, 100 = best) on the patients health on that particular day.

    Time frame: 5 years

  5. Adverse events

    Intraoperative adverse events (Bleeding, conversion rate, injury to bowel structures) Postoperative adverse events (ileus, seroma, hematoma, Surgical site infections (SSI), pulmonary embolism) according to Clavien-Dindo Classification and scored according to the Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI) up to 30 days after surgery.

    Time frame: 30 days

  6. Quality of life (SF 12)

    Quality of life using the short form-12 (SF-12) questionnaire at 7 and 14 days, 6 weeks, 6 months, 1, 3 and 5 years. The 12-item Short Form Survey (SF-12) is a general health questionnaire that was first published in 1995 as part of the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS). The SF-12 was constructed using questions drawn from each of the 8 dimensions of the MOS 36 item Short Form Survey (SF-36). Two summary scores are reported from the SF-12 - a mental component score (MCS-12) and a physical component score (PCS-12). The score ranges from 0 - 100, with a higher score indicating better physical and mental health functioning.

    Time frame: 5 years

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • St. Clara Hospital
    Basel, Canton of Basel-City 4058, Switzerland
    Recruiting
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Undecided — IPD may be shared upon reasonable request. Only anonymised data shall be shared.

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Started Jul 2024 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Dec 2026, 29 months after the start.

Of 75 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Hernia, Ventral, half reached primary completion within 33 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 19 and three quarters within 48. This study's planned 29 months is below that.

Counting every sponsor, half of 88 studies reached it within 37 months; a quarter within 19 and three quarters within 56.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Mar 27, 2024
First posted
Apr 16, 2024
StartActual
Jul 1, 2024
Primary completionEst.
Dec 31, 2026
CompletionEst.
Dec 31, 2031
Last update
Jul 24, 2026
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jul 24, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06367309
Collaborators
St. Clara Hospital, Basel, Switzerland, Innklinikum Altötting, Germany, Hôpital du Valais
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Apr 16, 2024
Start date
Jul 1, 2024
Primary completion
Dec 31, 2026 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 31, 2031 (estimated)
Last update
Jul 24, 2026

Study contacts

Fiorenzo Angehrn, MD
Contact
fiorenzo.angehrn@clarunis.ch
0041 61 777 73 17
Julian Süsstrunk, MD
principal investigator · Clarunis - Universitäres Bauchzentrum Basel
Johannes Baur, MD
principal investigator · Clarunis - Universitäres Bauchzentrum Basel

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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