Real-World Evidence from Surgical Registries: Insights from the EVEREG Registry

Surgical registries are becoming increasingly widespread, leading to a growing number of publications, although they are traditionally considered to offer a lower level of scientific evidence compared to randomized controlled trials (RCTs). However, well-designed observational registries allow for significantly larger sample sizes, the collaboration of a greater number of investigators and centers, and even direct patient participation. Consequently, they achieve high external validity and provide a unique opportunity to evaluate treatments and their real-world outcomes in daily clinical practice.

Registries are considered a source of real-world evidence (RWE), meaning that the outcomes obtained can be generalized to the broader medical community. Their most notable advantages include the acquisition of large sample sizes—even for rare diseases or exposures—the prospective collection of data, the consecutive inclusion of all patients presenting with the condition under study (such as incisional hernia), and the ability to conduct long-term follow-up.

EVEREG registry, currently named Spanish Abdominal Wall Surgery Registry (EVEREG), is promoted by Asociación Española de Cirugía (Spanish Association of Surgery) and coordinated by the Abdominal Wall Surgery Section.

This is a voluntary, surgeon-led registry focused on abdominal wall hernia procedures. Established in July 2012, the registry currently features four specialized tracks: Incisional Hernia, Inguinal Hernia, Ventral Hernia, and Prophylaxis, and now comprises a database of over 30,000 registered cases.

Analyzing these data provides a comprehensive understanding of the real-world, current landscape of abdominal wall surgeries within our environment, spanning both the most common and the rarest procedures. With this Special Issue, we aim to host cutting-edge studies derived from this registry, which will gain significant visibility and relevance by being centralized under this collaborative project. The vast volume of compiled data not only allows us to trace the evolution of abdominal wall surgery over time, but also reflects the state-of-the-art techniques and materials currently employed, including meshes and suture types.

We welcome manuscript submissions focused on any of the following topics and areas of interest:

• Registry-based papers: Studies utilizing data from any of the four dedicated registration tracks: Incisional, Inguinal, Ventral Hernia, or Prophylaxis.

• Study designs: Global/multicenter registry analyses as well as single-center studies derived from the database.

• Surgical outcomes: Clinical outcomes and complications of the various surgical techniques performed.

• Comparative approaches: Studies comparing open, laparoscopic, and robotic surgical approaches.

• Biomaterials and fixation: In-depth analyses of different prosthetic meshes and fixation systems.

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
• In Memoriam
• Letter to the Editor
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• ... 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
• In Memoriam
• Letter to the Editor
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Protocol
• Review

Keywords: Data validation, Hernia registry, Audit, Registry Accuracy, Abdominal Wall Surgery