Pelvic mesh in colorectal pelvic floor surgery-implications of recent developments

The use of mesh prostheses in pelvic surgery is under significant scrutiny. There are justifiable concerns around the transvaginal use of mesh products for POP surgery. The latter part of 2017 saw the announcement of wide-ranging regulatory actions relating to transvaginal mesh products, by the Therapeutic Goods Administration in Australia and subsequently Medsafe in New Zealand. In colorectal surgery, pelvic mesh is predominantly used in the treatment of rectal prolapse, with ventral mesh rectopexy (VMR) becoming popularised in recent years. The available evidence suggests that despite the current mesh controversy, VMR is an acceptable procedure, with functional advantages over other colorectal prolapse procedures. With only short-term outcome data available however, comparative studies and longer follow-up are required to answer the question of long-term mesh safety. In the meantime, there are areas where surgical practice can be optimised, in particular around reporting, training and patient education. The aims of this paper are to summarise the current status of pelvic floor mesh surgery and examine how this will impact colorectal pelvic floor surgery.