Clinical Results After Open Mesh Repair

The incidence of incisional hernia formation remains unchanged between 10% and 20%, depending on the length of follow-up [1]. It is still one of the most common complications after abdominal surgery. Today a large variety of surgical options for incisional hernia repair are available [2–4]. On the basis of data from 2006, approximately 40,000 incisional hernia repairs were performed in Germany. Although the results of conventional suture repair are known to have a recurrence rate of up to 60% depending on the time of follow-up, almost every second incisional hernia is still repaired with a suture repair. The other half are performed with the help of nonresorbable mesh prostheses.