Current status of hernia and abdominal wall surgery and innovation research and development of repairing materials

Abstract

Nowadays, hernia and abdominal wall surgery developes rapidly in China. Tension-free repair for inguinal hernia and abdominal wall incisional hernia is popular, and laparoscopic and even Da Vinci robotic hernia repair have been promoted rapidly. Due to the unbalanced development in diffe-rent areas of China, there is still existence of irregular diagnosis and treatment in hernia. Registry system of hernia and abdominal wall surgery and quality control standards are urgently needed. A few etiology, genetics and molecular epidemiology studies have been reported, although basic research of hernia is weak in the whole world. The exact pathogenesis and inheritance pattern are worthy of further study. The progress of hernia and abdominal surgery is inseparable from the development of repairing materials. At present, the repairing materials are mainly composed of synthetic materials and biomaterials. Although prosthetic repair can reduce postoperative hernia recurrence rate, mesh related adverse events in the long term should not be ignored, including common complications such as mesh shrinkage, erosion, adhesion, infection and so on. There is no ideal repairing material yet, but the innovative research and development of materials is worthy of the expectation in hernia and abdominal wall surgeons. Key words: Hernia; Inguinal hernia; Incisional hernia; Quality control specification; Repairing material