REHERNIATION AFTER REPAIR OF THE ABDOMINAL-WALL WITH EXPANDED POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE

Abstract

Defects of the abdominal wall that are not amenable to primary closure have to be bridged by synthetic materials. The use of a nonabsorbable expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) soft-tissue patch is advocated for this purpose. To investigate the suitability of the ePTFE patch, abdominal wall defects in 30 rats were repaired with ePTFE and compared with polypropylene (PP) mesh. Herniations and adhesions were scored, qualitatively and quantitatively, eight weeks after implantation and the patches were histologically examined. Herniations, all observed at the fascia and patch interface, were significantly more frequent in abdominal wall defects repaired with ePTFE (60 percent) than with PP (zero percent) (