Synthetic Mesh Used in Open Incisional Hernia Repair Following Initial Abdominal Surgery

Anatomically, the abdominal anterolateral wall has several week points prone to herniation. Moreover, after surgical interventions, an increased intra-abdominal pressure may lead to extravasation of the abdominal content through the operated site, protruding under the skin and leading to an incisional hernia. We have analyzed retrospectively 203 abdominal incisional hernia repairs that the first author operated at “Dr. Iacob Czihac” Military Emergency Clinical Hospital, Iasi, Romania, between 2008 and 2018. Open surgical repair was done with sublay non-absorbable polypropylene mash, and the placement depended on the hernia particularities: perioblilical retromuscular (53 cases), median subombilical properitoneal (84 cases), median intraperitoneal (2 cases with gigantic hernias), and lateral retromuscular (64 cases). Associated health problems of patients were addressed properly by surgical and anesthetic teams. No complications that needed surgical re-intervention after mesh placement were encountered. At less than 1 year, 5 patients, and between 1 and 3 years, other 3 more patients, required reintervention.