Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 20, 2026
Surgical Closure of Equine Abdomen, Prevention, and Management of Incisional Complications
Published on: May 10, 2024
Infected large pore meshes may be salvaged by topical negative pressure therapy
F Berrevoet1, A Vanlander, M Sainz-Barriga
1Department of General and Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation Service, Ghent University Hospital and Medical School, De Pintelaan 185 2K12 IC, 9000, Ghent, Belgium. Frederik.Berrevoet@ugent.be
Purpose:
To evaluate the efficacy of negative pressure therapy for superficial and deep mesh infections after ventral and incisional hernia repair by a prospective monocentric observational study.
Methods:
During a 6-year period, 724 consecutive open ventral and incisional hernia repairs were performed. Pre- and intraoperative data as well as postoperative complications were prospectively recorded. In case of wound infection, negative pressure therapy (NPT) was our primary treatment.
Results:
Sixty-three patients (8.7 %) were treated using negative pressure therapy after primary ventral and incisional hernia repair. Infectious complications needing NPT occurred in 54 patients in the retromuscular group (54/523; 10.3 %), none when laparoscopically treated and in 9 patients (9/143; 6.3 %) treated by an open intraperitoneal mesh technique. Considering outcome, all meshes were completely salvaged in the retromuscular mesh group after a median of 5 dressing changes (range, 2-9), while in the intraperitoneal mesh, group 3 meshes needed complete (n = 2) or partial (n = 1) excision. Mean duration to complete wound closure was 44 days (range, 26-63 days).
Conclusion:
NPT is a useful adjunct for salvage of deep infected meshes, particularly when large pore monofilament mesh is used.
