title: Repair of giant incisional hernias with polypropylene mesh: a retrospective study.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the long term results of repair of ventral incisional hernias or of defects in the abdominal wall using polypropylene mesh. Eighty-eight patients were operated on from 1979-1996, inclusive. Abdominal protrusion was found in 78 patients. Fifty-one of these patients had previously had an incisional hernia repaired and the remaining 10 patients had an abdominal wall defect as a result of excision of a malignant tumour. The polypropylene mesh was placed extraperitoneally and sutured with two rows of interrupted stitches, using non-absorbable sutures. Recurrence of the hernia was found in 10 of the 67 patients with incisional hernia. Eight patients had a relaxation of the muscles of the abdominal wall. Perioperative complications consisted of infection (n = 4), embolism (n = 1), haematoma (n = 1), and pneumonia (n = 3, one fatal), and one fatal bowel perforation. Median follow up time was 5.7 years (range 0-17). It is therefore possible to obtain acceptable results after repair of larger incisional hernias even if they had been repaired before.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jaime Rodriguez
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: San Pio
authors.forename: Tine Engberg
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Damsgaard
authors.forename: Ole
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Momsen
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Villadsen
authors.forename: Jørn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Larsen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006555:Hernia, Ventral / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011126:Polypropylenes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013526:Surgical Mesh; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D011126:Polypropylenes