Article preview from Medtech Insight - July, 2012
Hernia repair is a staple of the general surgeon’s practice, with more than two million procedures performed annually worldwide. However, the procedure has proven problematic due to the mesh products used to repair the hernia defect and their potential to cause complications over time. At the Fifth International Hernia Congress, held recently in New York City, physicians debated the pros and cons of the many hernia repair mesh products that are now available.
Article preview from Medtech Insight - July, 2012
It’s not uncommon for new approaches to a seemingly simple surgical procedure to result in a host of unintended consequences. This has certainly proven true for hernia repair, a staple of the general surgeon’s practice and one of the most commonly performed operations, with more than two million procedures done annually worldwide. At the recent Fifth International Hernia Congress (IHC) in New York, the complexity of hernia repair was readily apparent, with physicians debating the relative pros and cons of the 80+ different open/laparoscopic surgical approaches and the 160+ hernia repair mesh products now available.
In spite of strides made in laparoscopic surgery, such as single-port access and natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) using transvaginal or transesophageal techniques for ventral hernia procedures, most hernia repairs are still done via an open surgical approach owing to the steep learning curve and increased instrumentation costs associated with these other techniques.
Although it can be difficult for physicians to sort through the various surgical repair techniques, the bigger issue today involves the mesh materials used to repair the hernia defect and their potential to cause complications over time. Once implanted, meshes can migrate or contract leading to hernia recurrence, which is a particularly vexing problem with ventral or abdominal hernias. Significant contraction of the mesh also can pull out the staples holding the mesh in place, leaving holes in the fascia and causing debilitating pain that can last for years. In some cases, all that is required for pain relief is removal of the mesh. In addition, meshes may stiffen and become fibrotic, leading to pain as well as chronic infection.
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Medtech Insight newsletter provides insights into the technology and market developments (devices, instrumentation, biomaterials, gene therapy, tissue engineering, etc.) impacting a wide range of surgical and non-surgical clinical practices.
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