Tissue expander-assisted ventral hernia repair for the skin-grafted damage control abdomen.

PURPOSE

To describe a novel technique using tissue expanders that allows skin coverage over large ventral hernia repairs after damage control laparotomy, including patients with stomas.

METHODS

A retrospective study of a single author's experience with the technique.

RESULTS

Tissue expanders were placed in the lateral abdominal wall skin adjacent to stomas and expanded over a short 6-week course. The expanders successfully stretched the skin to provide coverage over the large ventral hernia mesh repairs without infectious complications.

CONCLUSIONS

The described technique is well tolerated by patients and very useful to provide skin coverage over large ventral hernia defects without infectious complications.