title: Deep prosthesis infection in incisional hernia repair: predictive factors and clinical outcome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the incidence of prosthetic infection in incisional hernia repairs, to determine whether there are any factors associated with prosthetic infection and to describe the clinical outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective clinical study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Teaching hospital, Germany.
  
  
  METHODS
  121 consecutive patients who underwent incisional hernia repair in our department from December 1994 to December 1999.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hernia repair by implantation of an alloplastic prosthesis by the Stoppa-Rives technique.
  
  
  METHODS
  Postoperative deep prosthetic infection and associated factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 121 patients had the mesh implanted in the subfascial plane, 77 had a polypropylene mesh (Prolene) (64%), 7 had a polyester mesh (Mersilene) (6%), and 37 patients had a expanded polytetrafluoroethylene patch (ePTFE, Gore-Tex) (31%). Postoperatively the mesh became infected in 8 patients (7%), a mean of 4.5 months (range 0.5-16) after hernia repair. All three infected ePTFE patches had to be removed whereas drainage was sufficient treatment for the infected polypropylene and polyester meshes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Once a mesh infection is verified adequate drainage seems to be sufficient for polypropylene and polyester meshes but ePTFE patches should be removed.
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Abdominal Surgery, General Hospital Dresden-Friedrichstadt, Teaching Hospital University Dresden, Germany. petersen-sv@khdf.de
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Henke
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Freitag
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Faulhaber
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ludwig
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003646:Debridement; D005260:Female; D006555:Hernia, Ventral / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013526:Surgical Mesh; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene