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Mesh shrinkage depends on mesh properties and anchoring device: an experimental long-term study in sheep

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Abstract

Purpose

The choice of mesh and anchoring device in laparoscopic ventral hernia repair is controversial. Clinically important long-term properties of mesh and anchoring device such as mesh shrinkage have been sparsely investigated. Furthermore, the effect of various anchoring devices on mesh properties has never been examined.

Methods

In 20 sheep, using laparoscopy, we inserted three PhysiomeshTM (large pore, lightweight) and three VentralightTMST (small pore, mediumweight), anchored with ProTackTM, SecurestrapTM or GlubranTM, respectively. After 6 and 12 months, 10 sheep at each time-point, we euthanized the animals, harvested the meshes with fascia, and measured the exact size and area of the mesh, expressing mesh shrinkage as a percentage of the initial area.

Results

The shrinkage of PhysiomeshTM was 35.7 %, 23.8 % and 17.7 % when anchored with ProtackTM, GlubranTM or SecurestrapTM, respectively. Shrinkage with ProtackTM was significantly higher than with either GlubranTM or SecurestrapTM, respectively (p<0.01 and p<0.01). The shrinkage of VentralightTMST was 19.3 %, 22.2 % and 19.6 % when anchored with ProtackTM, GlubranTM and SecurestrapTM, respectively (p>0.05 for all pairwise comparisons). Overall shrinkage of PhysiomeshTM anchored with ProtackTM was significantly higher for all comparisons (p<0.01).

Conclusion

Our results suggest that mesh shrinkage in sheep takes place within 6 months after implantation. A significant interaction between mesh and type of anchoring indicates that shrinkage may depend on both mesh properties and anchoring device. The results of the current study imply that the combined effect of mesh and anchoring device should be evaluated in future studies.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by The Aase and Ejnar Danielsen Foundation, The A.P. Moeller Foundation and The Klein and wife foundation. The authors wish to acknowledge help from the staff of Aarhus University’s farm for experimental animal studies. The authors also wish to acknowledge associate professor Mogens Erlandsen, Section of Biostatistics, Department of Health, Aarhus University who helped with planning and conduction of the statistical analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Regional Hospital Horsens, Sundvej 30, 8700, Horsens, Denmark

    S. Harsløf, N. Zinther & H. Friis-Andersen

  2. Department of Endocrinology and Internal Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark

    T. Harsløf

  3. Institute of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark

    C. Danielsen

  4. Department of Surgery P, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark

    P. Wara

Authors
  1. S. Harsløf
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  2. N. Zinther
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  3. T. Harsløf
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  4. C. Danielsen
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  5. P. Wara
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  6. H. Friis-Andersen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. Harsløf.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed. All procedures performed in studies involving animals were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institution or practice at which the studies were conducted.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Harsløf, S., Zinther, N., Harsløf, T. et al. Mesh shrinkage depends on mesh properties and anchoring device: an experimental long-term study in sheep. Hernia 21, 107–113 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10029-016-1528-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10029-016-1528-0

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