REPAIR OF INGUINAL-HERNIA WITH PROPERITONEAL EPTFE SOFT-TISSUE PATCH - (112 PATCHES 75 PATIENTS)

From January 1987 to December 1991, 112 ePTFE patches were inserted in properitoneal sites in 75 patients by median (61 patients) or inguina l (14 patients) approach to cure inguinal hernias. The hernia was dire ct or combined in 60 patients, bilateral in 37 patients and recurrent in 37 patients. These 75 patients accounted for 19.7 % of the 380 pati ents treated for hernia during the same period. Complications occurred in 5 patients, 3 of whom needed a second operation: 2 periprosthetic seromas, 2 femoral nerve irritations and one periprosthetic infection which resolved after treatment without patch removal. No patch was rem oved. Ninety three percent of the patients had an uneventful postopera tive recovery. All patients were followed (range : 4 months - 5 years) for an average of 28 months ; 88 % for one year or more. There were 3 recurrences which healed after reoperation. No late infection of sinu s occurred. One patient complained of severe pain without any attribut able cause. One patient had femoral hypoesthesia, 7 others suffered sl ight intermittent pain without any local complication. Discomfort in t hese 8 cases was very mild. Sixty-eight patients (91 %) rated the resu lt of their surgery as good or excellent. This clinical study confirms the biomecanical properties of ePTFE and demonstrates that, in compar ison with mesh of equal strength, the infection rate and its severiity would be decresead with ePTFE soft tissue patch.