Anterior abdominal wall reconstruction with a Permacol implant

Laparostomy wound management is a difficult problem especially with a stoma and the potential risk of infection. A case describing the use of a permanent porcine dermal collagen implant in the repair of a massive ventral hernia, in a patient with a large post-laparostomy defect and colostomy is outlined. The implant was not rejected, and after 12 months, there was no evidence of residual or recurrent hernia. The search for the ultimate biomaterial for reconstructing abdominal wall defects is ongoing. Collagen based implants appear to have many of the requirements that an ideal material should possess.