Abstract:

Objective

To evaluate the clinical efficacy of biological mesh in giant, recurrent and/or infectious incisional hernia repair.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 32 patients with giant, recurrent, and infected incisional hernias who underwent abdominal wall hernia repair with biological mesh in People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from August 2014 to November 2019.Clinical outcomes, including operative time, intraoperative blood loss, complication rates,and hernia recurrence, were assessed.

Results

All 32 patients underwent successful surgeries, including 25 cases of giant recurrent incisional hernias and 7 cases of giant infected recurrent incisional hernias (3 of which were accompanied by enteroatmospheric fistulas).The mean operative time was (2.7±0.8) hours, and the mean intraoperative blood loss was (235.0±80.1) ml.Primary wound healing was achieved in all cases.Two patients developed postoperative wound seromas, and one patient experienced superficial wound infection, which resolved with symptomatic treatment.No delayed infections were observed.During a 48-month follow-up, two cases of hernia recurrence were identified, with no other significant complications.

Conclusion

The use of biological mesh for the repair of giant infected recurrent incisional hernias is safe and feasible, demonstrating favorable short-term outcomes.It should be considered a preferred option, particularly for infected incisional hernias.

Key words: Incisional hernia, Large hernia, Recurrent hernia, Infection hernia, Biological mesh