[Correction of parastomal hernia using meshes]

The incidence of parastomal hernia in ileal conduit urinary diversion ranges from 4% to 16%. Surgical correction is necessary in about one third of cases and different techniques of surgical reconstruction have been described. Primary fascial repair has a high recurrence rate of 46-100% whereas stoma translocation is associated with complication rates of up to 88%. The use of alloplastic material (usually polypropylene meshes) has reduced the recurrence rate by up to 100% for primary fascial repair and 71% for stoma translocation down to 33%.Composite meshes consist of two layers, a polypropylene layer and an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) layer. The former is placed against the abdominal wall for permanent reinforcement by ingrowing connective tissue and the ePTFE layer is placed against the abdominal organs preventing adhesions with the bowel. The intraperitoneal placement of such composite meshes is a standardized, simplified, gentle and controllable surgical procedure. This article reports experiences with the surgical correction of parastomal hernias in ileal conduits using composite meshes.