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Abstract
Background
Effective repair of hernia is a difficult task. There have been many advances in hernia
repair techniques over the past 50 years, but new strategies must be considered to
enhance the success of herniorrhaphy.
Discussion
At the 30th International Congress of the European Hernia Society, nine experts in
hernia repair and experimental mesh evaluation participated in a roundtable discussion
about today’s unmet needs in hernia repair, including what constitutes an “ideal”
hernia repair and the portfolio of “ideal” mesh prostheses. Defining characteristics
of lightweight mesh, mesh alternatives, the surgeon’s role in hernia repair, adverse
events, the unmet requirements for today’s hernia repair, and optimized animal models
were among the topics discussed.
Conclusion
The ideal mesh’s construction is still in progress, but greater understanding of its
critical characteristics was explored. It is hoped that these suggestions will lead
to the development of improved hernia treatments and a maximally effective portfolio
of hernia mesh prostheses.
With the use of mesh shown to considerably reduce recurrence rates for hernia repair and the subsequent improvement in clinical outcomes, focus has now been placed on quality-of-life outcomes in patients undergoing these repairs, specifically, as they relate to the mesh prosthesis. Traditionally, quality of life after hernia surgery, like many other medical conditions, has been tested using the generic SF-36 survey. The SF-36 quality-of-life survey, although well studied and validated, may not be ideal for patients undergoing hernia repairs. We propose a new quality-of-life survey, the Carolinas Comfort Scale (CCS), pertaining specifically to patients undergoing hernia repair with mesh; our goal was to test the validity and reliability of this survey. The CCS questionnaire was mailed to 1,048 patients to assess its acceptability, responsiveness, and psychometric properties. The survey sample included patients who were at least 6 months out after hernia repair with mesh. Patients were asked to fill out the CCS and the generic SF-36 questionnaires, four questions comparing the two surveys, and their overall satisfaction relating to their hernia repair and mesh. The reliability of the CCS was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient (0.97). Test-retest validity was supported by the correlation found between two different administrations of the CCS; both Spearman's correlation coefficient and the kappa coefficient were important for each question of the CCS. Assessment of its discriminant validity showed that both the mean and median scores for satisfied patients were considerably lower than those for dissatisfied patients. Concurrent validity was demonstrated by the marked correlations found between the CCS and SF-36 questionnaire scales. When comparing the two surveys, 72% of patients preferred the CCS questionnaire, 80% believed it was easier to understand, 66% thought it was more reflective of their condition, and 69% said they would rather fill it out over the SF-36. The CCS better assesses quality of life and satisfaction of patients who have undergone surgical hernia repair than the generic SF-36.
In modern hernia surgery, there are two competing mesh concepts which often lead to controversial discussions, on the one hand the heavyweight small porous model and on the other, the lightweight large porous hypothesis. The present review illustrates the rationale of both mesh concepts and compares experimental data with the first clinical data available. In summary, the lightweight large porous mesh philosophy takes into consideration all of the recent data regarding physiology and mechanics of the abdominal wall and inguinal region. Furthermore, the new mesh concept reveals an optimized foreign body reaction based on reduced amounts of mesh material and, in particular, a significantly decreased surface area in contact with the recipient host tissues by the large porous model. Finally, recent data demonstrate that alterations in the extracellular matrix of hernia patients play a crucial role in the development of hernia recurrence. In particular, long-term recurrences months or years after surgery and implantation of mesh can be explained by the extracellular matrix hypothesis. However, if the altered extracellular matrix proves to be the weak area, the decisive question is whether the amount of material as well as mechanical and tensile strength of the surgical mesh are really of significant importance for the development of recurrent hernia. All experimental evidence and first clinical data indicate the superiority of the lightweight large porous mesh concept with regard to a reduced number of long-term complications and particularly, increased comfort and quality of life after hernia repair.
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