Posterior rectus fascia prolapse (PREFAP) repair: a new native tissue approach to pelvic organ prolapse via vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a common condition in women. During lifetime, up to 40% of all women will develop (POP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between June and December 2021, five patients were successfully treated via vNOTES Posterior Rectus Fascia Prolapse ( PREFAP) repair. No intra-operative complications or conversions occurred. CONCLUSION: In this study we demonstrated a new technique for prolapse repair, harvesting the autologous posterior rectus fascia sheath via vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (vNOTES) as an alternative for a synthetic mesh.

Prevention of Incisional Hernias by Prophylactic Mesh-augmented Reinforcement of Midline Laparotomies for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Treatment: Five-year Follow-up of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION: The incidence of incisional hernias (IHs) after open repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is high. Several randomized controlled trials have reported favorable results with the use of prophylactic mesh to prevent IHs, without increasing complications. In this analysis, we report on the results of the 60-month follow-up of the PRIMAAT trial. METHODS: In a prospective, multicenter, open-label, randomized design, patients were randomized between prophylactic retrorectus mesh reinforcement (mesh group), and primary closure of their midline laparotomy after open AAA repair (no-mesh group). This article reports on the results of clinical follow-up after 60 months. If performed, ultrasonography or computed tomography were used for the diagnosis of IHs. RESULTS: Of the 120 randomized patients, 114 were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. Thirty-three patients in the no-mesh group (33/58-56.9%) and 34 patients in the mesh group (34/56-60.7%) were evaluated after 5 years. In each treatment arm, 10 patients died between the 24-month and 60-month follow-up. The cumulative incidence of IHs in the no-mesh group was 32.9% after 24 months and 49.2% after 60 months. No IHs were diagnosed in the mesh group. In the no-mesh group, 21.7% (5/23) underwent reoperation within 5 years due to an IH. CONCLUSIONS: Prophylactic retrorectus mesh reinforcement after midline laparotomy for the treatment of AAAs safely and effectively decreases the rate of IHs. The cumulative incidence of IHs after open AAA repair, when no mesh is used, continues to increase during the first 5 years after surgery, which leads to a substantial rate of hernia repairs.

Patient Satisfaction After Inguinal Hernia Surgery: Literature Review of an Overlooked Patient-Reported Outcome Measure.

INTRODUCTION: Patient satisfaction after inguinal hernia surgery is currently underappreciated and not as well studied as other patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) on this topic. This study aims to review the literature and summarize available data. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature review was conducted using Medline with focus on patient-reported satisfaction after elective, inguinal hernia surgery in adults. All inguinal hernia repair techniques were considered. Small sample sizes and short follow-up periods were excluded. The methodology and results of the remaining articles were reviewed. Due to heterogeneity of reporting between articles, only a descriptive analysis was performed. RESULTS: The available data from patient-reported outcome measures regarding satisfaction yields considerable heterogeneity and lacks validation. We found that 53% of all included studies used an asymmetrical response questionnaire. Although there is an overwhelming positive patient satisfaction, wide ranges of satisfaction were seen (78-100% more than averagely satisfied, compared to 0-15% less than averagely satisfied). The number of patients not willing to undergo inguinal hernia repair again ranges from 1-16%. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that patient-reported satisfaction after inguinal hernia surgery is not uniformly surveyed and remains unvalidated. Further research on patient-reported satisfaction would benefit from the reported raw data of a standardised, validated, and symmetrical five-point Likert or 11-point NRS scale on regular intervals pre- and postoperatively.

High-Dose Vitamin D Does Not Prevent Postoperative Recurrence of Crohn's Disease in a Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Vitamin D deficiency is common in Crohn's disease (CD). High-dose vitamin D had anti-inflammatory effects in preclinical studies and trials of patients with CD. We performed a randomized trial to determine whether high-dose vitamin D prevents postoperative recurrence of CD after ileocolonic resection. METHODS: Patients with CD after ileocolonic resection with ileocolonic anastomosis were assigned randomly to groups given weekly 25,000 IU oral vitamin D (n = 72) or placebo (n = 71) for 26 weeks, at 17 hospitals in The Netherlands and Belgium, from February 2014 through June 2017. Patients were assessed at baseline and at weeks 2, 6, 12, and 26 for laboratory and clinical parameters, and underwent ileocolonoscopy at 26 weeks. The primary end point was endoscopic recurrence (modified Rutgeerts score, ≥i2b, as assessed by blinded readers) at 26 weeks. Secondary end points included clinical recurrence (Crohn's disease activity index, ≥220), quality of life (measured by the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire, and EuroQol, a 5-dimension questionnaire), and outcomes associated with the baseline serum concentration of vitamin D. RESULTS: In the vitamin D group, serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D increased from a median of 42 nmol/L at baseline to 81 nmol/L at week 26 (P < .00001), whereas levels did not change significantly in the placebo group and remained unchanged at 43 nmol/L. In the intention-to-treat analysis, the proportion of patients with endoscopic recurrence at 26 weeks did not differ significantly between the vitamin D vs the placebo group (58% vs 66%; P = .37). The cumulative rate of clinical recurrence did not differ significantly between the groups (18.1% in the vitamin D group vs 18.3% in the placebo group; P = .91). Quality of life improved slightly over time in both groups, but did not differ significantly between groups (P = .07). There were few adverse events in either group. CONCLUSIONS: High-dose vitamin D, compared with placebo, did not reduce the incidence of postoperative endoscopic or clinical recurrence of CD in patients who underwent ileocolonic resection with ileocolonic anastomosis. ClinicalTrials.gov no: NCT02010762.

Accuracy of whole-body diffusion-weighted MRI (WB-DWI/MRI) in diagnosis, staging and follow-up of gastric cancer, in comparison to CT: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Accurate staging of patients with gastric cancer is necessary for selection of the most appropriate and personalized therapy. Computed tomography (CT) is currently used as primary staging tool, being widely available with a relatively high accuracy for the detection of parenchymal metastases, but with low sensitivity for the detection of peritoneal metastases. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) has a very high contrast resolution, suggesting a higher diagnostic performance in the detection of small peritoneal lesions. The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the added value of whole-body diffusion-weighted MRI (WB-DWI/MRI) to CT for detection of peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) and distant metastases in the preoperative staging of gastric cancer. METHODS: This retrospective study included thirty-two patients with a suspicion of gastric cancer/recurrence, who underwent WB-DWI/MRI at 1.5 T, in addition to CT of thorax and abdomen. Images were evaluated by two experienced abdominal radiologists in consensus. Histopathology, laparoscopy and/or 1-year follow-up were used as reference standard. RESULTS: For overall tumour detection (n = 32), CT sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) was 83.3%, 100%, 100% and 82.4% respectively. For WB-DWI/MRI these values were 100%, 92.9%, 94.7% and 100%, respectively. For staging (n = 18) malignant lymph nodes and metastases, CT had a sensitivity, specificity/PPV/NPV of 50%/100%/100%/71.4%, and 15.4%/100%/100%/31.3% respectively. For WB-DWI/MRI, all values were 100%, for both malignant lymph nodes and metastases. WB-DWI/MRI was significantly better than CT in detecting tumour infiltration of the mesenteric root, serosal involvement of the small bowel and peritoneal metastases for which WB-DWI/MRI was correct in 100% of these cases, CT 0%. CONCLUSIONS: WB-DWI/MRI is highly accurate for diagnosis, staging and follow-up of patients with suspected gastric cancer.

Observational Cohort Study on the Use of a Slowly Fully Resorbable Synthetic Mesh (Phasix™) in the Treatment of Complex Abdominal Wall Pathology with Different Grades of Contamination.

PURPOSE: Abdominal wall hernia repair in contaminated cases remains a therapeutic challenge due to the high risk of post-operative surgical site occurrences (SSO). Slowly resorbable synthetic (biosynthetic) meshes have recently been introduced and may offer unique advantages when challenged with bacterial colonization during abdominal wall reconstruction. METHODS: A multicenter single-arm retrospective observational cohort study examined all consecutive patients in whom a poly-4-hydroxybutyrate mesh (Phasix™ or Phasix™ ST; Becton Dickinson, Franklin Lakes, NJ, USA) was used for the repair of an inguinal or ventral/incisional hernia, or to replace an infected synthetic mesh. Patient records were analyzed according to the level of contamination, using the classification score of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The primary objective was to evaluate short-term postoperative morbidity by assessing SSOs and the need for reoperation or even mesh excision. RESULTS: A total of 47 patients were included. The median age was 68 years (30-87), the male/female ratio was 26/21, and the median BMI was 26.5 kg/m2 (16.4-46.8). There were 17 clean cases, 17 clean-contaminated, 6 contaminated and 7 dirty. Median follow-up time was 48 days. An SSO was seen in 4 clean (23.5%), 7 clean-contaminated (41.2%), 2 contaminated (33.3%) and 5 dirty cases (71.4%). A surgical site occurrence requiring procedural intervention (SSOPI) was seen in 2 clean (11.8%), 3 clean-contaminated (17.6%), 1 contaminated (16.7%) and 2 dirty cases (28.6%). Hernia recurrence was seen in 1 clean (5.9%), 2 clean-contaminated (11.8%) and 3 dirty cases (42.9%). Mesh excision had to be performed in only one case in the contaminated group. CONCLUSION: The Phasix™ mesh shows promising short-term results when used in contaminated hernia-related surgery. Even in contaminated or dirty conditions, with or without infection of the mesh, resection of the mesh only had to be performed once and patients could be managed either conservatively or by relatively minor reoperations. However, further research is needed to fully evaluate the safety and efficacy of these meshes.

Large Abdominal Wall Defects: A Safe and Reliable Technique for Midline Reconstruction-The Bonheiden Experience.

This retrospective study reveals the results of our approach to the treatment of complex ventral hernias. A single-center, single-surgeon retrospective chart review on 68 consecutive patients who underwent abdominal wall reconstruction for incisional herniation on the midline between January 2012 and December 2016 is presented. The Bonheiden technique is based on anterior component separation in combination with preperitoneal retromuscular mesh reinforcement of the midline. Data of 68 consecutive cases of incisional midline abdominal wall defects treated electively with the mesh reinforced anterior component separation technique were analyzed. Demographics, patient characteristics, and hernia properties were evaluated. Postoperative complications included 28% of wound infections/dehiscence, 25% seromas, and 7% hematomas. No recurrences have been seen. We conclude this technique to be safe and reliable for large midline defects in patients suffering with several comorbidities.

Prevention of Incisional Hernias by Prophylactic Mesh-augmented Reinforcement of Midline Laparotomies for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Treatment: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of incisional hernias after abdominal aortic aneurysm repair is high. Prophylactic mesh-augmented reinforcement during laparotomy closure has been proposed in patients at high risk of incisional hernia. METHODS: A multicenter randomized trial was conducted on patients undergoing elective abdominal aortic aneurysm repair through a midline laparotomy (Clinical.Trials.gov: NCT00757133). In the study group, retromuscular mesh-augmented reinforcement was performed with a large-pore polypropylene mesh (Ultrapro, width 7.5 cm). The primary endpoint was the incidence of incisional hernias at 2-year follow-up. RESULTS: Between February 2009 and January 2013, 120 patients were recruited at 8 Belgian centers. Patients' characteristics at baseline were similar between groups. Operative and postoperative characteristics showed no difference in morbidity or mortality. The cumulative incidence of incisional hernias at 2-year follow-up after conventional closure was 28% (95% confidence interval [CI], 17%-41%) versus 0% (95% CI, 0%-6%) after mesh-augmented reinforcement (P < 0.0001; Fisher exact test). The estimated "freedom of incisional hernia" curves (Kaplan-Meier estimate) were significantly different across study arms (χ = 19.5, P < 0.0001; Mantel-Cox test). No adverse effect related to mesh-augmented reinforcement was observed, apart from an increased mean time to close the abdominal wall for mesh-augmented reinforcement compared with the control group: 46 minutes (SD, 18.6) versus 30 minutes (SD, 18.5), respectively (P < 0.001; Mann-Whitney U test). CONCLUSIONS: Prophylactic retromuscular mesh-augmented reinforcement of a midline laparotomy in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm is safe and effectively prevents the development of incisional hernia during 2 years, with an additional mean operative time of 16 minutes.

Initial Experience with a New Macroporous Partially Absorbable Mesh: Introducing Ultrapro® Advanced™.

INTRODUCTION: The Ultrapro® Advanced™ mesh (Ethicon, Sommerville, NJ) is a new mesh design, using the best characteristics from the previous platform, while adding new, advanced features. Our centre, Imelda Hospital, Bonheiden, Belgium, was chosen as one of the first clinical testing sites. The aim of this study was to present our preliminary data on complication rate and patient satisfaction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From October 1, 2015 until January 31, 2016, we treated 57 patients, implementing 67 Ultrapro® Advanced™ meshes. One patient was excluded due to postoperative cerebral haemorrhage with aphasia. Only patients with more than one-month follow-up were included for further analysis, resulting in a population of 41 patients with 51 meshes. Of them, 35 were male and only 6 were female, with an average age of 61.4 years and an average BMI of 25.9. The indications were uni- and bilateral laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair (n = 23 and 10 respectively), open inguinal hernia repair (n = 3), and open incisional hernia repair (n = 5). Quality of life was measured preoperatively and at four weeks postoperatively, using the hernia specific Carolina Comfort Scale (CCS) questionnaire. RESULTS: The primary endpoint was complication rate. Only two patients (4.8%) mentioned a mild scrotal hematoma and two patients (4.8%) demonstrated a seroma. There were no superficial wound infections nor early recurrent hernias. Our secondary endpoint was quality of life, measured by the CCS questionnaire, which differentiates between a symptomatic and an asymptomatic group. A total of 13 patients were asymptomatic, whilst 28 patients reported some sort of discomfort, ranging from mild (n = 25) to moderate and/or daily symptoms (n = 3). No patients were disabled by their symptoms. CONCLUSION: The Ultrapro® Advanced™ is a sequel of the classic Ultrapro® mesh with similar characteristics: it is a "lightweight", macroporous, partially absorbable mesh built out of thin filaments, while maintaining sufficient strength. Its improvement is due to incorporation of evidence-based characteristics such as an increased mesh elasticity. Furthermore, the surgical manipulation is improved thanks to the increased mesh memory. Our prospective cohort study shows good initial and short-term results after implementation of the Ultrapro® Advanced™. However, further prospective research is mandatory on the long-term outcomes.

A Modified Fisherman's Knot for Laparoscopic Suturing.

Suturing is an essential surgical technique, because there is no resection without the need for reconstruction. Therefore, every surgeon should master a set of suturing techniques so he can adapt his approach to the specificity of the situation. The development of laparoscopic surgery poses a new challenge as not all open techniques are amendable for laparoscopic use. We would like to propose a modified fisherman's knot, which has been optimised in our center for laparoscopic use. The technique can be used with every monofilament non-braided wire. The needle is placed through the tissue to be sutured and both wires are externalised through the trocar. First, a simple knot is placed by crossing the left over the right wire. Next, the left is turned around the right wire four times proximal to the starting knot and crossed to the left wire where an additional two turns are made moving away from the trocar. The knot is closed gently, making sure not to lock the knot. Then the instrument of Drouard is used to gently glide the knot over the right wire back through the trocar into the abdomen. After making sure that adequate pressure has been delivered to the knot, to firmly close the tissue, the wire must be cut at a length of at least 3 mm. A new wire should be used for every knot and in this manner several knots can be delivered to make sure the tissue is adequately closed. In our center, no known complications due to loosening or failure of these knots have occurred since we incorporated this knotting technique into our daily practice more than 20 years ago.

Long-Term Outcome After Laparoscopic Repair of Primary, Unilateral Inguinal Hernia Using a Self-Adhering Mesh.

Following our previous study about a lightweight self-adhering mesh (Adhesix®, Cousin Biotech, Wervicq-Sud, France; distributed by Davol Inc., subsidiary of C.R. Bard, Inc.), we report the long-term results with the use of this mesh in patients treated for a primary, unilateral inguinal hernia without any other hernias. Prospectively collected data of 100 patients between February 2011 and February 2014 were analyzed. The mean follow-up time was 2.7 years (range 1-4), and mean length of hospital stay was 0.6 days (range 0.5-1). At the time of the last follow-up visit, two patients (2%) had a recurrent inguinal hernia. Compared to preoperative values, patients reported a significant reduction in their pain sensation (visual analogue scale, VAS) after one month (4.61 vs. 1.32; P<0.001). A difference in VAS scores remained significant at the last follow-up visit (1.31 vs. 0.28; P<0.001). Patients reported high quality of life scores. Only one patient (1%) developed a clinically significant seroma that required an evacuating puncture. Two patients (2%) had superficial wound infections. Neither mesh infections nor mortalities occurred. This study, with a long follow-up, confirms our previous results: use of the Adhesix® mesh is safe, feasible, and efficient in laparoscopic hernia repair.

Long-term Outcome on the use of the Ventralight™ ST Hernia Patch in Laparoscopic Ventral Hernia Repair.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LVHR) is a common procedure in abdominal surgery. Use of mesh has become the gold standard in the last decade because of significantly fewer recurrences. Subsequently, the attention shifted to reduce mesh related complications in the short- and long-term as well as to facilitate its handling and positioning. In continuation of our previous study, we conducted a final analysis about the use of the Ventralight™ ST hernia patch (Davol Inc, Subsidary of C. R. Bard, Inc. Warwick, RI). METHODS: Prospectively collected data of 61 consecutive patients (men/women: 44/17) from July 2011 to October 2013 were analysed in this final study. Patients were evaluated clinically at four time points in total. At the final clinical check- up, 97% of the total study population was reassessed. The primary outcome parameter was recurrence. Secondary outcome parameters were described in terms of mesh related complications, pain scores, and quality of life. RESULTS: Mean follow-up time was 23 months (range 16-44). Mean length of hospital stay was four days (range 2-17). There were no operative complications. Two patients (both>80 years old) died more than one year after the procedure because of a cardiovascular event. One morbidly obese patient (2%) treated for a recurrent incisional hernia showed a second recurrence at the last follow-up visit. A clinical significant seroma was observed in two patients (3%) one month postoperatively. At last follow-up, two patients (3%) reported persistent mild discomfort at one specific spot. There was a significant reduction in the visual analogue scale (VAS) scores at the last follow-up visit compared to preoperative scores (3.01 vs. 0.27; P<0.01). Quality of life measurements using the SF-36 questionnaire showed good results. CONCLUSION: This final analysis of long-term follow-up results on the use of the Ventralight™ ST hernia patch in laparoscopic ventral hernia repair confirms our preliminary findings of the previous two reports. Use of the Ventralight™ ST hernia patch is associated with good short- and long-term outcomes and can be considered as safe and feasible in LVHR.

Prospective analysis of laparoscopic ventral hernia repair using the Ventralight™ ST hernia patch with or without the ECHO PS™ positioning system.

The purpose of the current prospective study was to confirm the results of our previous study on the use of the Ventralight™ ST mesh. In this study we also evaluated a pre-attached positioning system. Between July 2011 and October 2013 prospectively collected data of 61 consecutive patients who underwent a laparoscopic ventral hernia repair were analyzed. Short- and long-term outcomes were described. A total of 61 patients were treated in this period (men/women ratio 44/17). Overall median follow-up was 7 months (range 2-29). There were 30 patients with a follow-up of at least 12 months. Mean hernia diameter was 6 x 5 cm (craniocaudal x laterolateral) (range 1.5 x 1.5 to 20 x 15 cm). Overall mean length of hospital stay was 4.4 days. Postoperative visual analog scale (VAS) at last follow-up was significantly lower than the preoperative VAS (3.01 vs 0.68; P = 0.011) There were no intraoperative complications. In the whole group, only 6 patients (10%) showed minor complications. Four patients had mild discomfort, another 2 patients developed a clinically significant seroma. The complication rate in the subgroup with a follow-up of at least 1 year was 13%. No recurrences were observed. This study confirms our preliminary findings on the use of this mesh. The optional positioning system offers a significantly more quick and proper mesh positioning.

A prospective study of one-year clinical outcomes utilizing a composite three-dimensional device with a tissue-separating layer for repair of primary ventral and small incisional hernia.

Primary ventral and even small incisional hernias have historically been repaired by primary closure; however, data proves that use of mesh can significantly reduce hernia recurrence. Here we report clinical outcomes at one year using the International Hernia Mesh Registry following the use of a three-dimensional tissue-separating mesh device (Proceed Ventral Patch™, Ethicon, Somerville, NJ). This ongoing prospective multi-center registry collects preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative outcome data including adverse events at 1, 6, 12, and 24 months. Patient-reported outcomes are collected including a hernia-specific questionnaire. A total of 234 patients (72.1% male, 27.9% female) from 13 sites in the United States and Europe were enrolled. Mean age and BMI were 52.2 (SD 15.0) and 29.2 kg/m² (SD 5.2), respectively. Hernia types: umbilical 67.1%, epigastric 11.5%, small incisional including trocar 21.3%. Preoperatively 46.9% and 38.3% of patients reported symptomatic pain and movement scores, respectively. At 1 year, these were significantly reduced to 8.9% and 5.0%, respectively (p < 0.001). At 12 months hernia recurrence was 3.0% (95% CI, 1.2% to 6.1%), seroma (2.1%), infection (2.1%) with other events being less than 1%. These results indicate repair using this device led to significant improvement in pain and movement limitations and were associated with low complication and recurrence rates.

Prospective, single center, single surgeon's experience with an atraumatic self-adhering mesh in 100 consecutive patients.

The purpose of this study was to show the short- and long-term results of a lightweight self-adhering mesh, Adhesix®. Between February 2011 and April 2013, we prospectively collected data of 100 consecutive patients who underwent incisional or inguinal hernia repair. Mean follow-up time was 23 months (range 7-33 months). Mean length of hospital stay was 1.7 days (range 0.5-16 days). No recurrences occurred. Pain was significantly reduced after 1 month (4.1 vs 1.6; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.9-3.1; P < 0.0001) as well as at the last follow-up visit (1.6 vs 0.48; 95% CI 0.6-1.7; P < 0.0001). SF 36 scaled scores, as an indicator of quality of life, were good with 86, 84, 86, 84, 83, 88, 92, 87. Only 2 patients developed clinically significant seromas. No clinically significant hematomas were observed. Neither mesh nor wound infections occurred. Four patients developed urinary retention immediately postoperative, while 2 were hospitalized 2 weeks after discharge because of pneumonia. Two patients died because of unrelated causes. Based on these results, use of the Adhesix mesh seems to be safe, feasible, and efficient in hernia repair.

Prospective Analysis of Laparoscopic Ventral Hernia Repair Using the Ventralight™ ST Hernia Patch With or Without the ECHO PS™ Positioning System.

The purpose of the current prospective study was to confirm the results of our previous study on the use of the Ventralight™ ST mesh. In this study we also evaluated a pre-attached positioning system. Between July 2011 and October 2013 prospectively collected data of 61 consecutive patients who underwent a laparoscopic ventral hernia repair were analyzed. Short- and long-term outcomes were described. A total of 61 patients were treated in this period (men/women ratio 44/17). Overall median follow-up was 7 months (range 2-29). There were 30 patients with a follow-up of at least 12 months. Mean hernia diameter was 6 x 5 cm (craniocaudal x laterolateral) (range 1.5 x 1.5 to 20 x 15 cm). Overall mean length of hospital stay was 4.4 days. Postoperative visual analog scale (VAS) at last follow-up was significantly lower than the preoperative VAS (3.01 vs 0.68; P = 0.011) There were no intraoperative complications. In the whole group, only 6 patients (10%) showed minor complications. Four patients had mild discomfort, another 2 patients developed a clinically significant seroma. The complication rate in the subgroup with a follow-up of at least 1 year was 13%. No recurrences were observed. This study confirms our preliminary findings on the use of this mesh. The optional positioning system offers a significantly more quick and proper mesh positioning.

Prospective analysis of ventral hernia repair using the Ventralight™ ST hernia patch.

The aim of the current prospective study was to show the results of a new type of medium-weight monofilament polypropylene mesh covered with a hydrogel barrier on the visceral side. Between July 2011 and April 2013 prospectively collected data on 30 consecutive patients who underwent abdominal wall hernia repair using a medium-weight mesh covered with carboxymethylcellulose-sodiumhyaluronate coating (Ventralight™ ST mesh, Davol Inc, Subsidary of C. R. Bard, Inc. Warwick, RI) were analyzed. Out of these patients, those who had a follow-up of at least 12 months were selected. Short- and long-term outcomes were described. Meanwhile, registration continues up to completion of a series with 100 included patients. A total of 17 patients were selected (men/women ratio 11/6). Median follow-up was 12 months (range 12-21). Mean hernia diameter was 7 cm x 5 cm (craniocaudal x laterolateral) (range 1.5 x 1.5 to 20 x 15). Mean length of hospital stay was 6.1 days. Postoperative Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at last follow-up was significantly lower than the preoperative VAS (P = 0.017) There were no intraoperative complications. Four patients (23%) developed minor complications. Two patients had mild discomfort, another two patients developed a seroma. No recurrences were observed. This intermediate study shows good results using a biofilm coated mesh and confirm the positive results obtained in the Sasse clinical trial.

Use of negative pressure wound therapy to successfully treat postoperative pyoderma gangrenosum following laparoscopic surgery: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: PG is a rare neutrophilic skin disorder with a variable clinical presentation, and diagnosis is often delayed. PPG typically presents as a necrotic ulcerative lesion with surrounding erythema and is often mistaken for a surgical site infection. Delayed diagnosis can lead to extensive morbidity and a prolonged healing time. CASE REPORT: A 75-year-old male presented to the emergency department 2 weeks following laparoscopic appendectomy for acute appendicitis. He had fever and a suspected surgical site infection. Antibiotic treatment was initiated, and debridement was performed. Eventually, the diagnosis of PPG was made. Immunosuppressive therapy combined with NPWT was initiated. Complete wound healing was achieved 2 months after admission. CONCLUSIONS: Surgeons should have a high index of suspicion of underlying skin disorders when presumed postoperative wound infections do not respond to aggressive antibiotic and surgical treatment. Early multidisciplinary consultation should be considered. In the case of PPG, the authors of the present report advise early initiation of systemic immunosuppressive therapy combined with atraumatic wound care. NPWT should be considered as appropriate. Surgical debridement may be indicated in the setting of extensive necrosis or uncontrollable superinfection.

Retrospective study on the use of a composite mesh (Physiomesh) in laparoscopic ventral hernia repair.

The ideal mesh suited for intraperitoneal placement should address both requirements of tissue separation on the visceral surface and tissue integration on the parietal surface. Meshes with bioresorbable coatings have recently been demonstrated to be successful. In this article, the results are shown of a study with a new type of tissue-separating lightweight mesh with a bioresorbable coating (Physiomesh; Ethicon, Somerville, NJ) in laparoscopic ventral hernia repair. In this single-center retrospective analysis, 88 patients (50 men, 38 women) undergoing hernia surgery between November 16, 2010 and August 10, 2012 at the Imelda Hospital Bonheiden were included. Patients were asked to score their pre- and postoperative pain (1 month after surgery) on a visual analogue scale (VAS), as well as the chronic postoperative pain (pain at more than 6 months after surgery). The time period after which patients were pain free and after which they could return to work was also noted. Our results demonstrate that Physiomesh is a good alternative to the existing meshes leading to significant pain reduction, early return to work, acceptable complications, and low recurrence and reintervention rates.

ULTRAPRO® Hernia System: Toward an Ideal Solution? The Bonheiden Experience with a Partially Absorbable and Macroporous Bilayer Device.

In 1998, Gilbert introduced the Prolene Hernia System (PHS), a bilayer polypropylene mesh device composed of an onlay patch, a connector, and an underlay patch. The overall concept of its design was to include the best features of all currently available techniques while eliminating their undesirable features. This device is now available in a lightweight version, the Ultrapro® Hernia System (UHS; Johnson & Johnson, Somerville, NJ). We present the Bonheiden experience. From 2006 until 2009, we used 890 UHS devices in 712 patients. All patients were requested to join a prospective analysis with follow-up at one week and one month. Follow-ups at one and two years were organized using a telephone questionnaire. We were able to monitor 668 UHS implants in 526 patients. Bilateral primary hernias were repaired simultaneously in 142 patients and 6 hernias were a recurrence of a previous nonmesh repair. There were 472 men and 54 women in our cohort, with an average age of 57.5 years and average BMI of 24.79. No recurrences have occurred to date. Superficial wound infection presented in 3 patients. They were treated with antibiotics and no mesh needed to be removed. Seromas are much more common after this bilayer technique and are not considered a true complication. Whereas ecchymosis is very common, large hematomas were seen in 5 patients. One patient presented with a DVT of the iliac vein. She was treated with anticoagulation for three months, stockings, and early mobilization. The Ultrapro Hernia System is a good alternative to other preperitoneal hernia repairs, feasible in a day hospital under locoregional or general anesthesia. It has a very low recurrence rate but carries a more extensive dissection. We think the price paid for this extensive dissection is more than acceptable and is comparable to the Lichtenstein experience.