Five-year outcomes of the PROVE-IT randomized controlled trial: Patient-Reported Outcomes of Robotic vs. Laparoscopic Ventral Hernia Repair with Intraperitoneal Mesh

By
Erika M. Schmidt
William C. Bennett
Noah X. Tocci
Alvaro C. Carvalho
Cammy Tang
Chao Tu
Kimberly S. Miles
Luciano Tastaldi
Benjamin T. Miller
Lucas R. Beffa
David M. Krpata
Clayton C. Petro
Ajita S. Prabhu
July 9, 2026
0 min

Surgical Endoscopy

Overview

The PROVE-IT trial compares long-term outcomes of robotic versus laparoscopic approaches to ventral hernia repair. At 5 years, robotic repairs showed better hernia-specific quality of life scores compared to laparoscopic repairs, while laparoscopic repairs had a lower clinical hernia recurrence rate.

Background

The adoption of robotic surgery in ventral hernia repair has increased, yet long-term outcomes remain unclear. This study addresses gaps in literature regarding quality of life and recurrence rates beyond the initial postoperative period.

Data Highlights

No numerical data presented in the source material.

Key Findings

Robotic repairs resulted in higher hernia-specific quality of life scores compared to laparoscopic repairs at 5 years.
Laparoscopic repairs had a lower clinical hernia recurrence rate at 5 years.
Both approaches demonstrated comparable 30-day outcomes including pain and postoperative complications.
Patient-reported outcomes were collected using validated surveys such as HerQLes and PROMIS 3a.
Clinical hernia recurrence was determined through physical examination and imaging.

Clinical Implications

The findings indicate differences in quality of life and recurrence rates between robotic and laparoscopic techniques for ventral hernia repair.

Conclusion

The PROVE-IT trial provides insights into the long-term outcomes of robotic versus laparoscopic ventral hernia repair, highlighting differences in quality of life and recurrence rates.