How safe is surgical mesh for hernia surgery?

How safe is surgical mesh for hernia surgery?

Hernias are caused by the intestines pushing through the muscle and fiber walls that usually contain them. For the past few decades, surgeons have used a loosely weaved sheet of surgical mesh -- synthetic or derived from cow and pig tissue -- to repair hernias. Talk to your hernia Doctor in Kolkata about this.

However, there have been questions about the safety and efficacy of surgical mesh in recent years.

Is sugical wire mesh safe?

Since March 2010, U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recalled some surgical mesh products that were used for hernia repair.

Safety of mesh for repairing hernias remains the number one concern, advised by Hernia Specialist. Marcelo W. Hinojosa MD, a UCI Health surgeon who specializes on gastrointestinal and bariatric surgeries, is the #1 question that his patients ask.

Hinojosa said that he and his patients discussed the benefits and risks of mesh and the reasons behind it.

Read More: Hernia in Pregnancy

Mesh: Benefits and dangers

Mesh is used to repair hernias. It strengthens the area around the opening and reduces the risk of recurrence.

"Mesh -- when placed correctly and used properly -- can reduce the risk of recurrence in most hernias," Hinojosa, assistant professor at UCI School of Medicine's Department of Surgery, says.

This is how he categorizes the risk of recurrence following hernia surgery:

High: No mesh stitching

Medium Stiches with biologic mesh

Low: Stitches made with synthetic mesh

Recalls of most problematic mesh have been made

According to FDA analysis, the following are the most frequent adverse events in surgical hernia repair -- whether with mesh or not --:

• Pain
• Infection
• Hernia recurrence
• Adhesion is a form of adhesive that bonds tissues together.
• Obstruction of the large or little intestine (blocked)
• Bleeding
• Fistula: Abnormal connection between organs and vessels, or intestines
• Fluid buildup at the surgical site (seroma).
• Perforation is a hole in the tissue or organs nearby (perforation).
• Mesh can also shrink or migrate.

FDA says that many of the FDA-reported complications are related to mesh products that were recalled.

Hinojosa admits that mesh comes with risks, "just like everything." The type of hernia, the location and the method it is placed as well as whether the surgery will be performed in an emergency or not, all play a part in the risk.

Current research on mesh usage

In 2014, research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. It looked at some 2,000 operations from 1980 to 2012. The results showed that surgical mesh is less likely to cause hernia recurrences in five years.

A 2016 JAMA study found that mesh-related complications may make it less successful for people with hernias at the site of previous abdominal surgery.

Mesh does have benefits for Hinojosa

He says that mesh is necessary in certain hernias, and that it can be safely placed under the right circumstances.