RESULTS AFTER CLOSURE OF LARGE OR RECURRE NT INCISIONAL HERNIAS BY POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE

In 48 patients who were suffering from recurrent or large abdominal in cisional hernias the defect in the abdominal wall was closed by the im plantation of a patch of polytetrafluoroethylene. Patients were examin ed 22 months postoperatively on the average. In 5 cases recurrence had occurred (10.4 %). The estimated rate of recurrence two years postope ratively amounted to 14 %. As this is significantly lower than after c onventional techniques without alloplastic materials, the closure of i ncisional hernias by PTFE is an important alternative for the manageme nt of difficult abdominal incisional hernias.