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Frederik Berrevoet,1 Carl Doerhoff,2 Filip Muysoms,3 Steven Hopson,4 Marco Gallinella Muzi,5 Simon Nienhuijs,6 Eric Kullman,7 Tim Tollens,8 Mark R Schwartz,9 Karl LeBlanc,10 Vic Velanovich,11 Lars Nannestad Jørgensen12 1Department of General and Hepatopancreaticobiliary Surgery, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium; 2General Surgery, Surgicare of Missouri, Jefferson City, MO, USA; 3Department of Surgery, AZ Maria Middelares Ghent, Ghent, Belgium; 4Bon Secours Hernia Center, Mary Immaculate Hospital, Newport News, VA, USA; 5University Hospital Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; 6Catharina Hospital, Eindhoven, the Netherlands; 7Medicinskt Centrum Linköping, Linköping, Sweden; 8Imelda Hospital-General Surgery Imelda Hospital, Bonheiden, Belgium; 9Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch, NJ, 10Our Lady of Lakes Regional Medical Center, Baton Rouge, LA, 11Tampa General Hospital, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA; 12Bispebjerg Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark Purpose: This study assessed the recurrence rate and other safety and efficacy parameters following ventral hernia repair with a polyester composite prosthesis (Parietex™ Composite Ventral Patch [PCO-VP]).Patients and methods: A single-arm, multicenter prospective study of 126 patients undergoing open ventral hernia repair with the PCO-VP was performed. Patient outcomes were assessed at discharge and at 10 days, 1, 6, 12, and 24 months postoperative.Results: All patients had hernioplasty for umbilical (n = 110, 87.3%) or epigastric hernia (n = 16, 12.7%). Mean hernia diameter was 1.8 ± 0.8 cm. Mean operative time was 36.2 ±15.6 minutes, with a mean mesh positioning time of 8.1 ± 3.4 minutes. Surgeons reported satisfaction with mesh ease of use in 95% of surgeries. The cumulative hernia recurrence rate at 1 year was 2.8% (3/106). Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain scores showed improvement from 2.1 ± 2.0 at preoperative baseline to 0.5 ± 0.7 at 1 month postoperative (P < 0.001), and this low pain level was maintained at 12 months postsurgery (P < 0.001). The mean global Carolina’s Comfort Scale® (CCS) score improved postoperatively from 3.8 ± 6.2 at 1 month to 1.6 ± 3.5 at 6 months (P < 0.001). One patient was unsatisfied with the procedure.Conclusion: This 1-year interim analysis using PCO-VP for primary umbilical and epigastric defects shows promising results in terms of mesh ease of use, postoperative pain, and patient satisfaction. Recurrence rate is low, but, as laparoscopic evaluation shows a need for patch repositioning in some cases, an accurate surgical technique remains of utmost importance. Keywords: intraperitoneal mesh, epigastric hernia, umbilical hernia, pain

Introduction: Various mesh fixation methods are employed by surgeons during ventral hernia repair. These may include tacks, straps, sutures, glue, or a combination of methods. One of these choices is an absorbable fixation device, Securestrap® (Ethicon Inc., Somerville, New Jersey), consisting of an absorbable copolymer barbed U-shaped strap with a spring-loaded deployment system., Materials and Methods: The International Hernia Mesh Registry is a prospective multi-center registry, designed to collect longitudinal data on hernia repair methods, products, and outcomes. Patients complete the Carolinas Comfort Scale™ (CCS) (The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority, Charlotte, North Carolina) pre-operatively, and at one month, six months, and 12 months post-operatively. Symptomatic patients defined as responding >1 to any CCS™ question. Statistical comparison of symptom frequency was made with the McNemar test and Kaplan Meier methods to determine the recurrence rate up to 365 days., Results: Patients were enrolled at 16 centers. Data was available on 100 of the 203 patients at six months and on 119 patients at 12 months. Demographics: mean age of 52.7 (13.2 standard deviation[ SD]); mean body mass index (BMI) of 33.2 (7.5 SD) kg/m2; 64.3% having a BMI over 30kg/m2; male patients 47.4%; 16.7% for recurrent hernias. Mesh fixation with straps alone in 48.3% of cases or straps and sutures in 51.7% of cases. Percentage of patients with symptomatic pain decreased slightly from baseline to one month (70.0 vs. 60.6, p=0.0782) and significantly from one month to six months (60.6% symptomatic vs. 23.2%; p=0.0004). From six months to twelve months, the change in percentage of symptomatic patients was not significant (23.2% vs. 28.7%; p=0.8084). Similar results were observed with symptomatic CCS™ movement limitations. Overall recurrence rate at 12 months was 4.72% (2.39%-9.22%)., Conclusion: Mesh fixation with straps with or without additional sutures is associated with significant improvements in patient-reported pain and movement limitation from baseline to six months post-operative.

Purpose: This study assessed the recurrence rate and other safety and efficacy parameters following ventral hernia repair with a polyester composite prosthesis (Parietex™ Composite Ventral Patch [PCO-VP])., Patients and Methods: A single-arm, multicenter prospective study of 126 patients undergoing open ventral hernia repair with the PCO-VP was performed. Patient outcomes were assessed at discharge and at 10 days, 1, 6, 12, and 24 months postoperative., Results: All patients had hernioplasty for umbilical (n = 110, 87.3%) or epigastric hernia (n = 16, 12.7%). Mean hernia diameter was 1.8 ± 0.8 cm. Mean operative time was 36.2 ±15.6 minutes, with a mean mesh positioning time of 8.1 ± 3.4 minutes. Surgeons reported satisfaction with mesh ease of use in 95% of surgeries. The cumulative hernia recurrence rate at 1 year was 2.8% (3/106). Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain scores showed improvement from 2.1 ± 2.0 at preoperative baseline to 0.5 ± 0.7 at 1 month postoperative ( P < 0.001), and this low pain level was maintained at 12 months postsurgery ( P < 0.001). The mean global Carolina's Comfort Scale ® (CCS) score improved postoperatively from 3.8 ± 6.2 at 1 month to 1.6 ± 3.5 at 6 months ( P < 0.001). One patient was unsatisfied with the procedure., Conclusion: This 1-year interim analysis using PCO-VP for primary umbilical and epigastric defects shows promising results in terms of mesh ease of use, postoperative pain, and patient satisfaction. Recurrence rate is low, but, as laparoscopic evaluation shows a need for patch repositioning in some cases, an accurate surgical technique remains of utmost importance., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

New products have led the way in advancements of inguinal hernia repair. None is more impressive than the evolution of the plug patch. In 1968 Irving Lichtenstein introduced the first Marlex mesh plug repair when he rolled a piece of flat polypropylene into the shape of a cigarette to fill a femoral defect. He later expanded his use of the "cigarette plug" to repair recurrent hernias. Today, a wide array of mesh plugs, ranging from nonabsorbable to partially and fully absorbable biomaterials, are available from manufacturers. While some surgeons have used the plug alone for repair, most believe the overlay patch is of greater importance for the durability of the repair. With larger overlays, it is questionable whether a plug should be a permanent, nonabsorbable material. Heavyweight plugs have been reported to erode, migrate, or cause vocational-limiting inguinodynia. Using a fully absorbable plug in inguinal hernia repair minimizes the risk of these complications. This article focuses on the technical refinements associated with using the completely absorbable GORE BIO-A Hernia Plug (W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc, Elkton, MD) in combination with macroporous polypropylene or polyester. Additionally, this paper describes the use of GORE BIO-A Tissue Reinforcement as an alternative for repair following removal of prior polypropylene plug-patch herniorrhaphy that cause inguinodynia.

A simple method of combined atraumatic vascular control and apposition of vein and artery which facilitates performance of a Cimino-Brescia arteriovenous fistula for angioaccess is described herein.

The first spontaneous Salmonella aortic graft infection is reported, being due to graft contamination via a graft enteric erosion. The high mortality of Salmonella aortic infection and gram-negative graft infections is noted.

Two cases of villous adenoma of the duodenum are reviewed. Surgical resection is complicated by the local anatomy but in 80 per cent of the patients may be limited to submucous resection via lateral duodenotomy. The two cases are compared to the 50 published case reports.

A simple method of aortic graft plication with a retrocolic omental pedicle is described; plication should protect against both graft infection and graft enteric fistulas.