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Retrorectus polyester mesh repair for midline ventral hernias
A A Wheeler1, S T Matz, S L Bachman
1Department of General Surgery, University of Missouri-Columbia, One Hospital Drive, Columbia, MO 65212, USA.
Purpose:
To evaluate the effectiveness of the retrorectus mesh repair for midline ventral hernias.
Methods:
A retrospective review of all consecutive patients having a retrorectus mesh repair by a single surgeon in a standardized fashion from 1991 to 2005. All procedures used polyester (Mersilene) mesh with at least 5-cm overlap beyond the repair in all directions.
Results:
Ninety patients were identified, 56% of which were female. Major postoperative complications occurred in 23 (26%) patients, including nine (10%) patients requiring reoperative treatment due to skin flap necrosis, wound infection, hematoma, or fascial dehiscence. Partial mesh excision was required in four patients. The hernia recurrence rate was 7% at a mean of 53 months.
Conclusion:
The retrorectus repair with polyester mesh is an effective and durable repair for midline ventral hernias. The disadvantage of this repair is the large number of wound complications.
