Repair of parietal hernia by overlapping onlay reinforcement or “gap-bridging” replacement polypropylene mesh: Preliminary results

Summary

In an open prospective observational study, all patients presenting with abdominal wall hernias since January 1996 underwent polypropylene mesh repair. The patient population comprised 15 male and 22 female patients (aged 24 to 86 years, median 60.5 years) with 22 primary and 4 recurrent incisional hernias and 8 primary and 3 recurrent umbilical hernias, respectively. Premusculo-fascial mesh onlay followed direct apposition of the myoaponeurotic hernial rim in 24 patients and was fixed ≪tension free≫ bridging the defect with hernial sac interposition in 13 patients. In 2 patients subcutaneous wound sepsis, and in one skin- and subcutaneous slough, necessitated debridement and open wound treatment with subsequent uneventful secondary wound healing. 31 patients followed up for more than 6 months were assessed clinically and sonographically in October 1998 [8 patients after 8 months (range 6–9) and 23 patients after 19 months (range 12–33)]. The main complaint was neuralgiform pain at the mesh periphery in 8 patients. No recurrence was observed.