Successful local repair of paracolostomy hernia with a newly developed prosthetic device

The basic cause of paracolostomy hernia is enlargement of the trephine opening in the abdominal wall, due to tangential forces working on the circumference of the opening. Our attempts of hernia repair with polypropylene mesh were not successful, as the diameter of the hole in the mesh tended to enlarge with time. For this reason we developed a new device, which secures the desired diameter of the opening. The prosthesis consists of a polypropylene ring with an internal diameter of 20, 25 or 30 mm, mounted in the centre of a polypropylene mesh. In 14 patients with a parastomal hernia, complicating an end colostomy, this prosthesis has been used. In one patient the implant had to be removed owing to infection. In the remaining 13 patients no recurrence or other complications have been noted after a median follow-up of 18 months (range 5-35 months). We conclude that the presented prosthetic device seems to be a useful adjunct for the local repair of a paracolostomy hernia.