Use of bovine pericardium graft for abdominal wall reconstruction in contaminated fields.
OBJECTIVE
To employ, in such conditions, a biological graft such as bovine pericardium that offers resistance to infection.


METHODS
In our surgical department, from January 2006 to June 2010, 48 patients underwent abdominal wall reconstruction using acellular bovine pericardium; of these 34 patients had a contaminated wound due to diffuse peritonitis (complicated diverticulitis, bowel perforation, intestinal infarction, strangled hernia, etc.) and 14 patients had hernia relapse on infected synthetic mesh.


RESULTS
In our series, one patient died of multi-organ failure 3 d after surgery. After placement of the pericardium mesh four cases of hernia relapse occurred.


CONCLUSIONS
Recurrence rate is similar to that of prosthetic mesh repair and the application of acellular bovine pericardium (Tutomesh(®), Tutogen Medical Gmbh Germany) is moreover a safe and feasible option that can be employed to manage complicated abdominal wall defects where prosthetic mesh is unsuitable.
Luigi D'Ambra, Stefano Berti, Cosimo Feleppa, Prospero Magistrelli, Pierfrancesco Bonfante, Emilio Falco, Department of Surgery, S. Andrea Hospital, 19100 La Spezia, Italy.
Luigi
L
D'Ambra
Stefano
S
Berti
Cosimo
C
Feleppa
Prospero
P
Magistrelli
Pierfrancesco
P
Bonfante
Emilio
E
Falco