Use of biodegradable (PGA) fabric for repair of solid organ injury: a combined institution experience

A fabric constructed of biodegradable mesh was used in the operative repair of injured intra-abdominal organs in 60 patients at two Level I Trauma Centres. Splenorrhaphy was performed in 44 patients, hepatorrhaphy in eight, renorrhaphy in five and one combined repair of spleen and liver and one kidney and liver. The age range for the patients was 5 to 61 years. Multiple-organ injury occurred in 21 patients. Mean emergency room systolic BP for the patient series was 120 +/- 24 mmHg (SD), Glasgow Coma Scale 14.3 +/- 1.9, haematocrit 37.2 +/- 6.4 per cent, Injury Severity Score (ISS) 28.1 +/- 16.3, Abdominal Trauma Index (ATI) 15.5 +/- 7.5. Postoperative complications occurred in 36.7 per cent of patients. Time for the operation averaged 165.1 + 72.1 min and preoperative and operative transfusion volume averaged 2248 ml. There were three deaths (5.4 per cent). The mesh organ repair technique is an alternative to conventional surgical procedures used to control bleeding from injured organ surfaces and to close organ parenchymal defects.