Human acellular dermal matrix for ventral hernia repair in the compromised surgical field

Abstract

Repair of a ventral hernia is one of the most common surgical procedures performed in the United States. Yet ventral hernia repair in the setting of a contaminated surgical field presents a very difficult surgical dilemma. Prosthetic mesh has been widely employed since the 1950s for the elective repair of ventral hernias. Beyond hernia recurrence, prosthetic mesh has known complications such as infection, contracture, and intestinal fistula formation. In the setting of a clean-contaminated and/or dirty surgical field, prosthetic mesh is contraindicated due to high complication rates [1-4]. © 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.