Intraperitoneal prolene mesh in hernia repair: a comparison of two techniques.

Prolene (polypropylene) mesh is a useful material for technically difficult repairs of abdominal wall hernias. In this study, two insertion techniques were used and compared. The first method, in which 2-cm wide strips of mesh were cut perpendicular to the main part, pulled through the musculoperitoneal layer and anchored to the anterior fascial layer, was abandoned after use in 10 patients because of complications. The second method, using circumferential horizontal mattress sutures to anchor the mesh, gave satisfactory results in the 40 patients in whom it was used. There were no deaths, and complications were few and easily dealt with.