Erosion of Marlex Mesh Collar after Vertical Banded Gastroplasty

Marlex mesh, as opposed to silastic ring, when used as a collar in the bariatric procedure of vertical banded gastroplasty, has been reported rarely to erode into the gastric lumen. We report two cases of such an erosion, of which one ended as a complete internalization of the collar into the stomach. In one of the patients we observed a wider than expected portion of tissue that had been encircled by the collar, which might have caused a local inflammatory reaction leading to the later erosion.