The early outcomes of complex abdominal wall reconstruction with polyvinylidene (PVDF) mesh in the setting of active infection: a prospective series.

PURPOSE: The use of synthetic mesh to repair infected abdominal wall defects remains controversial. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) mesh was introduced in 2002 as an alternative to polypropylene, with the advantages of improved biostability, lowered bending stiffness, and minimum tissue response. This study aimed to evaluate the short-term outcomes of using PVDF mesh to treat infected abdominal wall defects in the elective setting. METHODS: This prospective clinical trial started in 2016 and was designed to evaluate the short- and mid-term outcomes of 38 patients submitted to abdominal wall reconstruction in the setting of active mesh infection and/or enteric fistulas (AI) when compared to a group of 38 patients submitted to clean ventral hernia repairs (CC). Patients were submitted to single-staged repairs, using onlay PVDF mesh (DynaMesh®-CICAT) reinforcement to treat their defects. RESULTS: Groups had comparable demographic characteristics. The AI group had more previous abdominal operations and required a longer operative and anesthesia time. At 30 days, surgical site occurrences were observed in 16 (42.1%) AI vs. 17 (44.7%) CC, p = 0.817; surgical site infection occurred in 4 (10.5%) AI vs. 6 (15.8%) CC, p = 0.497; and a higher number of procedural interventions were required in the CC group, 15.8 AI vs. 28.9% CC, p = 0.169. Both groups did not have chronic infections at 1 year of follow-up, and one hernia recurrence was observed in the AI group. CONCLUSIONS: The use of PVDF mesh in the infected setting presented favorable results with a low incidence of wound infection.

Early assessment of bilateral inguinal hernia repair: A comparison between the laparoscopic total extraperitoneal and Stoppa approaches.

BACKGROUND: The present clinical trial was designed to compare the results of bilateral inguinal hernia repair between patients who underwent the conventional Stoppa technique and laparoscopic total extraperitoneal repair (LTE) with a single mesh and without staple fixation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This controlled, randomised clinical trial was conducted at General Surgery and Trauma of the Clinics Hospital, Medical School, the University of São Paulo between September 2010 and February 2011. Totally, 50 male patients, with a bilateral inguinal hernia, older than 25 years were considered eligible for the study. The following parameters were analysed during the early post-operative period: (1) The intensity of surgical trauma, operation time, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, white blood cell count, bleeding and pain intensity; (2) quality of life assessment; and (3) post-operative complications. RESULTS: LTE procedure was longer than the Stoppa procedure (134.6 min ± 38.3 vs. 90.6 min ± 41.3; P < 0.05). The levels of CRP were higher in the Stoppa group (P < 0.05) but the number of leucocytes, haematocrit, and haemoglobin were similar between the groups (P > 0.05). There was no difference in pain during the 1st and 7th post-operative, physical functioning, physical limitation, the impact of pain on daily activities, and the Carolinas Comfort Scale during the 7th and 15th post-operative (P > 0.05). Complications occurred in 88% of Stoppa group (22 patients) and 64% in LTE group (16 patients) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The comparative study between the Stoppa and LTE approaches for the bilateral inguinal hernia repair demonstrated that: (1) The LTE approach showed less surgical trauma despite the longer operation time; (2) Quality of life during the early post-operative period were similar; and (3) Complication rates were higher in the Stoppa group.

Active Staphylococcus aureus infection: Is it a contra-indication to the repair of complex hernias with synthetic mesh? A prospective observational study on the outcomes of synthetic mesh replacement, in patients with chronic mesh infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus.

INTRODUCTION: The management of chronic mesh infection is challenging and controversial. The use of synthetic material to repair the abdominal wall in the infected setting is not recommended, especially in the presence of active infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus. METHODS: This is a prospective observational study designed to evaluate the outcomes in patients with active mesh infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus. Patients underwent simultaneous removal and replacement of polypropylene mesh. The treatment protocol included the complete removal of infected mesh, followed by the anatomical reconstruction, and reinforcement of the abdominal wall using a new onlay polypropylene mesh. Early and late wound complications, medical complications, and hernia recurrences were analyzed. RESULTS: From 2006 until 2014, 22 patients with a mean age of 57.2 years and mean BMI of 29,3 kg/m2 were studied. Sinuses were present in 21 patients. A recurrent ventral hernia was observed in 14 patients; two patients required a complex abdominal wall reconstruction due to enteric fistulas. Bowel resections or other potentially contaminated procedures were associated in 10 patients. Fourteen patients (63.6%) had an uneventful postoperative course; 5 (22.7%) patients had wound infections requiring debridement and three required partial (2) or total (1) mesh removal. Two patients died due to medical complications. Adverse results on long-term follow-up included one hernia recurrence after complete mesh removal and one persistent sinus after partial mesh removal requiring a reoperation to remove mesh remnants. All of the patients were considered free of infection after a mean follow-up of 44 months. CONCLUSIONS: Synthetic mesh replacement in patients with active Staphylococcus aureus infection has an acceptable incidence of postoperative wound infection and prevents hernia recurrence. Large-pore polypropylene mesh is a suitable material to be used in the infected surgical field as an onlay graft.

Great saphenous vein aneurysm: A differential diagnosis of femoral hernia and review.

INTRODUCTION: Venous aneurysms are unusual clinical entities that might be difficult to diagnose and usually appear as an asymptomatic incidental finding on physical examination or imaging study and discovered only during the surgical exploration. They are important differential diagnosis of groin and other subcutaneous mass. PRESENTATION OF CASE: We report a case of a 67-years-old woman who had a groin mass misdiagnosed as femoral hernia, which was subsequently diagnose as great saphena vein aneurysm in the intraoperative set and treated with ligature and resection. DISCUSSION: In conclusion, venous aneurysms of the superficial system are lesions that are important differential diagnosis of groin and other subcutaneous mass. CONCLUSION: Diagnosis is readily available by duplex ultrasonography; however, in most cases, the diagnosis is done only in the operative field.

The ventriculoomental bursa shunt.

OBJECT: The aim of this study is to access the efficacy of the omental bursa (lesser sac) as a receptacle of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and to use it as an alternative to the ventriculoatrial or ventriculopleural shunts when the peritoneum reduces or loses its CSF absorption capacity. METHODS: Three patients with hydrocephalus presented with malfunctioning of ventriculoperitoneal shunts, secondary to peritoneal blockage caused by previous episodes of shunt infections in two and peritonitis in one patient. All patients underwent previous shunt revisions due to ventriculitis and shunt obstruction ranging from three to eight times. In order to keep the peritoneal cavity as the main receptacle of CSF absorption site, the distal catheter was inserted in the omental bursa, through the foramen of Winslow, jointly by a pediatric surgeon. We denominated this new technique of CSF diversion as ventriculoomental bursa (VOB) shunting. The children have been followed at least for 1 year (range 12 to 28 months) with no recurrence of shunt. CONCLUSIONS: VOB shunting may be considered an acceptable technique to CSF shunting when the anterior peritoneum loses or decreases its CSF absorption capacity.