PhD defence Dite Louise Catharina de Jong

Keywords: Abdominal wall reconstruction, Surgery, Prehabilitation, Multidisciplinary 

"Multimodal Optimization In Abdominal Wall Surgery"

This thesis describes how care for complex abdominal wall surgery can be optimized before, during, and after the operation. The focus is on three levels: the patient (such as weight reduction and improvement of physical and mental condition), the abdominal wall defect itself, and the organization of care (including improved planning and structuring of healthcare processes).

The results show that improving a patient’s condition and reducing risk factors prior to surgery leads to better outcomes. A multidisciplinary approach, involving collaboration between different specialties, is essential to make optimal use of all available expertise. Decision-making regarding surgical technique and the need for ICU admission within a multidisciplinary meeting contributes to more efficient and effective use of healthcare resources.

In addition, quality of life—one of the most important outcomes for patients—significantly improves after completing this care pathway.

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