The use of flexible carbon fibre in the repair of experimental large abdominal incisional hernias

Abstract

Ventral hernia was induced surgically in sheep and either left unrepaired (5 animals), repaired with plastic mesh (20 animals) or with carbon fibre (20 animals). In unrepaired animals the hernia persisted. Three hernias recurred in the group repaired with plastic mesh, 2 as a consequence of sepsis. All the hernias repaired with carbon fibre remained sound over periods varying from 8 months to 2 years. There was a gradual invasion of the carbon fibres by collagenous tissue and thus a transition from one to the other of the stress of maintaining the abdominal wall intact.