Parastomal Hernia

Parastomal hernia (PSH) remains one of the most common and clinically challenging complications following ostomy creation, with reported incidence rates very high after long-term follow-up. Despite advancements in surgical techniques and prosthetic materials PSH continues to impose a substantial burden on patients—manifesting as chronic pain, stoma-related complications, reduced quality of life (QoL) and in severe cases life-threatening incarceration or strangulation. The complexity of PSH management is further compounded by heterogeneity in risk factors (e.g., obesity, emergency surgery), technical variability in repair approaches, and high recurrence rates following different techniques.

This Special Issue of the Journal of Abdominal Wall Surgery (now indexed in PubMed) is dedicated to bridging critical knowledge gaps in the prevention and treatment of PSH by synthesizing high-level evidence, innovative surgical strategies, and patient-reported outcomes. We are open to any manuscript in relation to the topic, but we particularly encourage contributions that address:

1. Prevention & Prophylaxis
- Comparative long-term outcomes of prophylactic mesh placement (onlay, sublay, or intraperitoneal) during initial stoma formation.
- Patient-specific risk stratification: Can predictive models (e.g., AI-based tools) optimize patient selection for prophylactic measures?

2. Surgical Innovations & Repair Techniques
- Minimally invasive approaches: Robotic-assisted, laparoscopic, , cost-effectiveness, and learning curves.
- Emerging materials: Role of biosynthetic, resorbable, or hybrid meshes in reducing infection and recurrence.
- Salvage strategies: Management of recurrent PSH and contaminated fields (e.g., component separation, biologic meshes).

3. Patient-Centered Outcomes & Multidisciplinary Care
- QoL metrics and stoma-specific tools (e.g., EORTC QLQ-OSTOMY) to evaluate functional recovery.
- Enhanced recovery protocols (ERAS) and the impact of preoperative optimization (e.g., weight loss, physical therapy).
- Shared decision-making: Patient preferences and barriers to care in PSH management.

By integrating clinical research, systematic reviews, and expert consensus, this Special Issue aims to establish evidence-based best practices while identifying future directions for innovation. We invite contributions from surgeons, hernia specialists, radiologists, stoma therapists, and prehabilitation experts to foster a holistic approach to PSH care.

Fee Support
As a Gold open-access journal, all submissions are subject to publishing fees. If you require support for Article Processing Charges (APC) a limited number of waivers are available, to apply please complete our Fee Support Application form. JAWS’ authors can also benefit from financial support from their institution through Frontiers' Institutional Agreements. For full details please see the journals Publishing Fees page. Any questions? Please contact the Publishing Office.

Article types and fees

This Special Issue accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Special Issue description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Commentary
• Editorial
• Letter to the Editor
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Protocol
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Special Issue accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Special Issue description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Commentary
• Editorial
• Letter to the Editor
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Protocol
• Review

Keywords: Parastomal hernia, ostomy creation, hernia surgery