Update on Bioactive Prosthetic Material for the Treatment of Hernias

The use of mesh in the repair of hernias is commonplace. Synthetic mesh, like polypropylene, has been the workhorse for hernia repairs since the 1980s. Surgisis® mesh (Cook Surgical, Bloomington, IN), a biologic hernia graft material composed of purified porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS), was first introduced to the United States in 1998 as an alternative to synthetic mesh materials. This mesh, composed of extracellular matrix collagen, fibronectin and associated glycosaminoglycans and growth factors, has been extensively investigated in animal models and used clinically in many types of surgical procedures. SIS acts as a scaffold for natural growth and strength. We reported our initial results in this publication in July 2006. Since then, there have been many more reports and numerous other bioactive prosthetic materials (BPMs) released. The object of this article is to briefly review some of the current literature on the use of BPM for inguinal hernias, sports hernias, and umbilical hernias.