A new technique for tension-free reconstruction in large incisional hernia

In the surgical management of large incisional hernias, the main target is the closure of the abdominal wall defect on the midline without a dangerous increase in the intraabdominal pressure. In this setting, new intraperitoneal prosthesis and components separation techniques were proposed to solve this problem. Both solutions present some critical issues. A new surgical approach with a free lateral double layer prosthesis totally in polypropylene both sides (FLaPp (R)) is proposed to overcome this problem. This is a retrospective cohort analysis study with a prospectively collected database from two different Italian hospitals. Twenty-nine patients operated from April 2010 to December 2015 were treated using the new prosthesis. Four patients developed postoperative complications: one (3.4%) presented wound infection, two (6.9%) experienced seroma, and one had a hematoma (3.4%). No deaths were recorded. At a median follow-up of 28.5 months (IQR 22-36), no hernia relapse occurred. The application of FLaPp (R) mesh is a safe and feasible option that can be employed to manage Rives repair in cases of abdominal wall defects with difficult closure of the posterior plan when the conventional prosthetic meshes could be unsuitable

Italian Biological Prosthesis Work-Group (IBPWG): proposal for a decisional model in using biological prosthesis.

INTRODUCTION: Indications for repair of abdominal hernia are well established and widely diffused. Controversies still exist about the indication in using the different prosthetic materials and principally about the biological ones. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In February 2012, the Italian Biological Prosthesis Work-Group (IBPWG), counting a background of 264 biologic implants, met in Bergamo (Italy) for 1-day meeting with the aim to elaborate a decisional model on biological prosthesis use in abdominal surgery. RESULTS: A diagram to simplify the decisional process in using biologics has been elaborated. CONCLUSION: The present score represents a first attempt to combine scientific knowledge and clinical expertise in order to offer precise indications about the kind of biological mesh to use