Outcomes of Slow-Absorbable Biosynthetic Mesh (Phasix™) in Hernia Repair at Tertiary Care Center, Riyadh, Saudi...

Mesh repair reduces hernia recurrence compared with suture repair, but permanent synthetic meshes are associated with chronic foreign-body complications. Biosynthetic poly-4-hydroxybutyrate mesh (Phasix™) provides temporary reinforcement with gradual resorption; however, short-term real-world outcomes across different hernia types remain limited. This study evaluated short-term outcomes after Phasix™ hernia repair and identified factors associated with baseline recurrent hernia at presentation.

This retrospective cohort included patients ≥ 16 years who underwent open or laparoscopic hernia repair with Phasix™ at King Abdulaziz Medical City (2020-2023). Patients receiving other mesh types were excluded. Demographic, operative, and postoperative data were analyzed. Multivariable logistic regression identified factors associated with baseline recurrent hernia.

Among the 228 patients (51.8% female; mean age 55 years), hernia types were incisional (36.0%), paraumbilical (26.3%), and inguinal (24.6%). Early complications were uncommon: seroma in 2.2% and surgical site infection in 1.8% at 1 month. One-year recurrence occurred in 1.3% (3/228). Female sex, prior incisional hernia repair, previous mesh removal, and open repair independently predicted baseline recurrent hernia, while laparoscopic repair was protective.

Phasix™ repair demonstrated low short-term complication rates and rare 1-year recurrence across ventral and inguinal hernias. Short-term outcomes were driven mainly by patient and procedural factors rather than mesh-specific effects.