Experimental study of Composix mesh for ventral hernia.

We aimed to compare conventional single-layer mesh and composite mesh in terms of the degree of tissue repair on the abdominal wall side of the mesh and the degree of mechanical adhesion to the intestine and to confirm the stability of composite mesh. We used a single-layer polypropylene (PP) mesh and a two-layer Composix mesh (E/X type) consisting of a PP mesh and an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene mesh. Twenty rats were divided into two groups. Three months after mesh placement, histopathologically, ingrowth of granulation tissue into the mesh on the abdominal wall side was prominent without mesh shrinkage or shift in either group. In the PP mesh group, 50% of the rats had firm adhesions between the mesh and the intestine, whereas the Composix mesh group had no adhesions to the intestine. Unlike conventional PP mesh, Composix mesh prevented adhesions to the intestine on the peritoneal side without impairing tissue union with the visceral peritoneum, suggesting its usefulness in clinical onlay mesh repair for ventral defects.