Porosity and Adhesion in an IPOM Model

Abstract

As the advancing laparoscopic techniques for incisional hernia repair depend on meshes suitable for direct contact with the intestine, the search for the ideal mesh for intraabdominal placement continues. In the last decade, much effort has been put into the search for the perfect intraperitoneal onlay mesh (IPOM). The main problem in the investigation of meshes is the complexity of adhesion formation and the impossibility of measuring this in the human body without further invasive methods. Several meshes are available that provide some sort of adhesion barrier, but for each of these meshes we have found counterexamples of dense adhesions in our daily clinical routine. In an experimental rat model investigating modern meshes for IPOM repair, Junge et al. found an adhesion area of more than 20% despite the kind of adhesion barrier [4].