A biomimetic mesh for treating female stress urinary incontinence

Abstract

For patients with medium to severe incontinence, sub-urethral support surgery has a high cure rate, but using synthetic meshes leads to some complications such as mesh erosion/exposure and thigh pain. Autologous or acellular extracellular matrix grafts present few complications but have a high recurrence rate. Regensling™ is a new sling product made of a synthetic material with a biomimetic structure, aiming to provide long-term mechanical support with a lower complication rate. To assess the safety and effectiveness of Regensling™, both in vitro and in vivo experiments were performed. The mesh was implanted in the subcutaneous, intramuscular and sub-urethral regions of rabbits. At 4, 12, and 26 weeks post-implantation, the animals were executed and the implants were studied for their mechanical and biocompatible properties. Compared to the control material, the Regensling™ was covered by a thin layer of fibrous tissue with good compliance, and had a milder inflammatory response. During the period of the experiment, Regensling™ showed stable strength with an increasing trend over time.