Simple suture closure versus suture closure with mesh enforcement for repair of small primary ventral incisional hernias. A randomized prospective study

ABSTRACT

In this study, simple suture closure [group I, 26 patients] was compared with onlay polypropylene MeSH enforcement [group II, 27 patients] for defects less than 7 cm in their maximum dimensions providing the absence of persistent predisposing factor for herniation. The largest defect was 6.5 cm and the smallest was 2.5 cm. The patients were followed up for one year postoperatively. For females who became pregnant, the follow up was extended to six months after delivery. In conclusion, MeSH repair was recommended for primary incisional hernias with musculo-aponeurotic defects larger than 4 cm. If unplanned pregnancy during the first postoperative year is possible, MeSH repair is recommended regardless of the size of the hernial defect