The concept of protected mesh to minimize adhesion formation in intraperitoneat abdominal wall reinforcement. Preclinical evaluation of a new composite mesh

Summary

The repair of inguinal or incisional hernias may occasionally require the placement of an intraabdominal mesh to reinforce parietal wall defects or weaknesses. An original composite mesh, consisting of a conventional polyester mesh combined with a coated hydrophilic and absorbable membrane designed to prevent intraperitoneal adhesions was evaluated. The efficacy of the product was tested through three experiments. The first carefully examined the absorption properties of the hydrophilic film as well as the biocompatibility of the patch after subcutaneous implantation. The second experiment was designed to evaluate adhesion formation in an animal model, comparing the mesh to two other commercially available membranes and to a control. In the third experiment, the product was tested in a porcine model. This was done in order to better evaluate the performance of the mesh in a model closer to human dimensions. These three experimental procedures demonstrated the biocompatibility of the membrane, the dramatically superior performance of the patch compared to other commercially available ones and to controls, and the validity of the concept in large animals. The composite mesh made of polyester and coated hydrogel fulfils the conditions for human evaluation.