Surgical treatment of postoperative incisional hernias by intraperitoneal insertion of dacron mesh and an aponeurotic graft - A report on 250 cases

Background: The therapeutic problems of giant incisional hernias of the abd ominal wall are often difficult to resolve. The technique of repair must ma ke up for the loss of abdominal wall substance and reestablish the interpla y of the abdominal musculature. The use of prosthetic materials complies wi th these 2 imperatives. Hypothesis: The results of surgical treatment of postoperative incisional h ernias by intraperitoneal insertion of Dacron mesh and an aponeurotic graft were evaluated. Design and Setting: Retrospective study of 250 patients in a university hos pital. Results: Postoperative mortality was 0.8%. Five patients (2%) developed a s ubcutaneous infection that did not affect the prosthesis. Another 5 patient s (2%) developed a deep-seated infection that necessitated removal of the m esh in 3 cases. Eight patients (3.2%) had recurrence of incisional hernia. Conclusion: This retrospective study shows that giant abdominal wall hernia s can be efficiently treated by the intraperitoneal positioning of Dacron m esh and an aponeurotic graft.