Mesh-mediated Fascial Traction Research Articles

Vertical Mesh-Mediated Fascial Traction and Negative Pressure Wound Therapy: A Case Series of Nine Patients in General and Vascular Surgery.

Two patients in a vascular surgery unit and seven patients in an abdominal surgery unit with an OA were treated with VMMFT in combination with NPWT between September 2019 and June 2023. A DFC was achieved in seven of nine cases. The mean duration of OA was 9.6 ± 3.8 days, and fascial dehiscence at the beginning of OA was 14.2 ± 4.0 cm on average. Time to DFC after VMMFT was established was 6.2 ± 3.5 days (mean). No method-related complications occurred. The standardized combination of VMMFT and NPWT gave positive results in achieving DFC in our heterogenic patient group. Following a strict treatment pathway as shown here seems to improve OA outcome. It represents a promising further development of mesh-mediated fascial traction for OA treatment.

P10 The yeast of our worries: a challenging case of persistent candidaemia following emergency abdominal surgery

Abstract Case summary A 47-year-old woman with a past medical history of osteoarthritis only presented to hospital with abdominal pain three days following a diagnostic colonoscopy performed for suspected bowel malignancy. Upon admission, she was diagnosed with a bowel perforation and subsequently underwent an emergency laparotomy and anterior resection for a newly diagnosed sigmoid adenocarcinoma. Her recovery was complicated by an anastomotic leak requiring multiple washouts due to faeculent peritoneal soiling. Following surgery, she was admitted to the ICU with an open abdomen for vacuum-assisted wound closure and mesh-mediated fascial traction. A sample of peritoneal fluid taken during her initial washout grew Escherichia coli, for which she was initially treated with piperacillin/tazobactam, and later, meropenem, after another E. coli isolate from a sample of intra-abdominal pus collected during a subsequent washout demonstrated piperacillin/tazobactam resistance. Despite treatment with meropenem, the patient continued to have intermittent fevers up to 40°C. Blood cultures taken during a febrile episode grew yeasts identified as Candida glabrata, at which point anidulafungin was commenced empirically. Computed tomography imaging of the chest, abdomen and pelvis did not reveal any potential source of invasive candidiasis. To exclude line infection as the source of the Candida, all central lines were removed, leaving only peripheral venous access. Despite this, the candidaemia continued. In total, 18 blood cultures taken over a period of 19 days grew C. glabrata. After 7 days of empirical treatment with anidulafungin, voriconazole was added in view of the persistent elevation in the patient’s serum β-D-glucan (BDG) and recurrent isolation of C. glabrata from blood cultures. Flucytosine was added after a further 10 days with no effect on the patient’s clinical status. Following removal of the abdominal mesh and the eventual closure of the patient’s abdomen, the time to positivity for her blood cultures gradually increased and eventually became negative at 5 days. Flucytosine was then stopped and anidulafungin and voriconazole were continued. A sustained decline in the patient’s serum BDG was observed thereafter and antifungal treatment was eventually stopped after three negative BDG measurements were obtained.1 Conclusions Fungal mesh infection is a rare but serious complication of abdominal surgery involving mesh insertion.2 To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of abdominal surgical mesh infection caused by C. glabrata. Previously reported cases in the literature have been due to other Candida spp. (albicans, krusei and norvegensis), Aspergillus and Coccidioides spp.1–3 C. glabrata is particularly adept at biofilm formation, causing low therapeutic response to antifungal treatment.4 In this case, source control could not be readily achieved as the mesh was required to aid abdominal closure, resulting in treatment failure despite triple antifungal therapy. This case serves as a stark reminder of the devastating and potentially fatal consequences that may result from this surgical complication and the perils associated with the use of mesh in abdominal surgery when the peritoneum has been soiled.

Increasing Use of Prophylactic Open Abdomen Therapy With Vacuum Assisted Wound Closure and Mesh Mediated Fascial Traction After Repair of Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Open abdomen therapy (OAT) is commonly used to prevent or treat abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) in patients with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (rAAAs). This study aimed to evaluate the incidence, treatment, and outcomes of OAT after rAAA from 2006 to 2021. Investigating data on resuscitation fluid, weight gain, and cumulative fluid balance could provide a more systematic approach to determining the timing of safe abdominal closure. This was a single centre observational cohort study. The study included all patients treated for rAAA followed by OAT from October 2006 to December 2021. Seventy-two of the 244 patients who underwent surgery for rAAA received OAT. The mean age was 72 ± 7.85 years, and most were male (n= 61, 85%). The most frequent comorbidities were cardiac disease (n= 31, 43%) and hypertension (n= 31, 43%). Fifty-two patients (72%) received prophylactic OAT, and 20 received OAT for ACS (28%). There was a 25% mortality rate in the prophylactic OAT group compared with the 50% mortality in those who received OAT for ACS (p= .042). The 58 (81%) patients who survived until closure had a median of 12 (interquartile range [IQR] 9, 16.5) days of OAT and 5 (IQR 4, 7) dressing changes. There was one case of colocutaneous fistula and two cases of graft infection. All 58 patients underwent successful abdominal closure, with 55 (95%) undergoing delayed primary closure. In hospital survival was 85%. Treatment trends over time showed the increased use of prophylactic OAT (p ≤ .001) and fewer ACS cases (p= .03) assessed by Fisher's exact test. In multivariable regression analysis fluid overload and weight reduction predicted 26% of variability in time to closure. Prophylactic OAT after rAAA can be performed safely, with a high rate of delayed primary closure even after long term treatment.

Vacuum assisted closure with mesh mediated fascial traction of open abdominal wounds and acute fascial dehiscence, a single institution experience.

Laparostomy is a common means of managing surgical catastrophes, but often results in large ventral hernias which prove difficult to repair. It is also associated with high rates of enteric fistula formation. Dynamic methods of managing the open abdomen have been shown to result in higher rates of fascial closure and fewer complications. Recent publications have suggested the addition of chemical components relaxation with botulinum toxin has an added advantage over prior methods. We report on a series of emergent cases managed by the combination of Botulinum toxin A (BTA) mediated chemical relaxation with a modified method of mesh-mediated fascial traction (MMFT) and negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT). Thirteen cases (nine laparostomies and four fascial dehiscence) were successfully closed in a median of 12 days, using a median of 4 'tightenings', with no clinical herniation detected at follow up so far (median 183 days, IQR 123-292). There were no procedure-related complications, but one death from the underling pathology. We report further cases of vacuum assisted mesh-mediated fascial traction (VA-MMFT) utilizing BTA in successfully managing laparostomy and abdominal wound dehiscence and continues the known high rate of successful fascial closure seen when applied in treating the open abdomen.

How to do mesh-mediated fascial traction for delayed primary closure of the open abdomen.

The open abdomen can be a life-saving resuscitative manoeuvre in patients with catastrophic abdominal pathologies, however, can lead to the need for delayed primary closure. The most recent guidelines released from the European Hernia Society and World Society for Emergency Surgery both suggest mesh-mediated fascial traction in conjunction with negative pressure wound therapy as the preferred method in this situation. We present a detailed 'how to do it' on this technique.

The Efficacy of VAMMFT Compared to "Bogota Bag" in Achieving Sheath Closure Following Temporary Abdominal Closure at Index Laparotomy for Trauma

IntroductionThe open abdomen (OA) is a necessary component of damage control surgery and closure is often challenging. Our aim was to review our ten-year experience with OA in trauma patients and to compare the success of a dual closure technique termed vacuum-assisted, mesh-mediated fascial traction (VAMMFT) to an exclusively Bogota Bag (BB) approach.MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed using the HEMR database from 2012 to 2022, comparing demographics, mechanism of injury, admission vitals and biochemistry between patients with BB and VAMMFT applications. Rate of secondary abdominal closure and complications were assessed in both groups. Logistic regression was used to find predictors of closure.ResultsOA was required by 348 patients at index laparotomy. Of these, 133 (38.2%) were managed with VAMMFT and 215 (61.8%) exclusively with a BB. There were no statistical differences between the BB and VAMMFT groups in terms of demographics, injuries, admission vitals and biochemistry. The VAMMFT group achieved a closure rate of 73% compared to 54.9% in the BB group (OR of 2.2 [1.4–3.7]). There was no significant difference in fistulation rate between the two groups (p = 0.103). Length of hospital stay was 30 versus 17 days in the VAMMFT and BB groups, respectively (OR 1.41 [1.30–1.54]). There were no independent predictors of closure identified in the VAMMFT group. Older patients were less likely to achieve closure when BB was used (OR 0.97 [0.95–0.99]). VAMMFT failure was commonly due to lack of stock (39%) and protocol violations (33%).ConclusionThe VAMMFT approach to the OA is efficacious and safe. VAMMFT achieves a much higher rate of secondary closure than BB alone with a low rate of enteric fistula formation.

Cierre dinámico y toxina botulínica: una alternativa novedosa para el cierre definitivo del abdomen abierto y contenido

We report the case of a 54-year-old male patient hospitalized for COVID-19 pneumonia who developed septic shock due to acute Hinchey IV diverticulitis and required Hartmann’s surgery. The patient evolved with colonic ischemia and underwent total colectomy and open abdomen (OA) with temporary abdominal closure (TAC) that was managed with a vacuum-assisted wound closure (VAWC) system for 7 weeks, resulting in a Björck grade 3A OA with a 16-cm gap. As he had a favorable clinic course, dynamic closure with mesh-mediated fascial traction was decided, associated with botulinum toxin (BT) injection. This strategy allowed primary fascial closure (PFC) of the abdominal wall 5 weeks after treatment was initiated, thus avoiding the complications of healing by secondary intention.

Abdominal compartment syndrome after endovascular repair of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm: A case report and literature review

Background: Abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) arises in approximately 7% after ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (RAAA) treatment. Decompressive laparotomy is a satisfactory way to treat ACS. The problem is deciding when to complete abdominal closure with appropriate alternative treatments.[1]
 Methods: This is a case report of successful ACS treatment following RAAA intervention at Ho Chi Minh University Hospital of Medicine and Pharmacy with a literature review.
 Clinical case: A 61-year-old male patient was hospitalized for abdominal pain. Computed tomography angiography demonstrated RAAA. He underwent the emergency endovascular repair of ruptured aneurysms (rEVAR). At 30 minutes post-intervention, the patient's abdomen was distended following intraabdominal hypertension measured via bladder catheter. Within ACS diagnosing, emergency decompressive laparoscopy was performed. The abdominal wall was left open and covered with a sterile nylon cover. The fascial closure was performed on the sixth postoperative day with the support of vacuum-assisted wound closure (VAC) and mesh-mediated fascial traction. On the 27th postoperative day, the wound could close completely, and the patient could be discharged successfully.
 Conclusion: A bladder pressure is required to monitor intraabdominal pressure postoperatively after decompressive laparotomy. Delayed fascial closure is appropriate with supporting VAC until total abdominal closure.

O32 TREATMENT OF FASCIAL DEHISCENCE IS IMPROVED BY MESH REINFORCEMENT

Abstract Aim In 2014 fascial dehiscence (FD) was treated with re-suturing the fascia as the only measure in half of the cases at our institution, with discouraging re-rupture and incisional hernia (IH) rates. A changing path away from fascia closure (FC) by re-suturing solely towards reinforcement of the closed fascia is now evaluated. Material and Methods Retrospective chart review of consecutive patients operated for FD 2016-2020. Available CT scans were scrutinized for IH. Results 58 patients (14 women) with a mean age of 71 years and a mean BMI of 27.3 were treated with: FC by re-suturing as the only measure (n = 1, 1.7%); FC preceded by a reinforced tension line (RTL) suture (n = 9, 15.5%); FC and on-lay mesh reinforcement (n = 23, 39.7%); retromuscular mesh closure (n = 10, 17.2%); open abdomen treatment with retromuscular mesh reconstruction (n = 1, 1.7%); and, open abdomen treatment with vacuum assisted wound closure and permanent on-lay mesh-mediated fascial traction (VAWCPOM) (n = 14, 24.1%). One patient in the RTL-group suffered a re-rupture (1.7%). The in-hospital mortality was 5%. Wound healing problems were seen in 29 (51.9%) patients. IH was evaluable in 49 patients with a total incidence of 22.4% at mean follow-up of 21 months. The hernia incidence for mesh reinforced or reconstructed patients was 17.5% compared to 44.4% in re-sutured or RTL patients. Conclusions FD treatment with mesh reinforced FC prevented re-rupture and resulted in a lower rate of IH. Additional standardization and refining the mesh techniques may further improve results.

P128 BOTULINUM TOXIN A IN CONJUNCTION WITH NEGATIVE PRESSURE WOUND THERAPY AND MESH-MEDIATED FASCIAL TRACTION PROVIDES HIGH RATE OF FASCIAL CLOSURE IN PATIENTS WITH OPEN ABDOMEN

Abstract Aim Presentation of our data on Vacuum-Assisted Wound Closure and Permanent Onlay Mesh-Mediated Fascial Traction (VAWCPOM) in combination with Botulinum Toxin A (BTX-A) injection in the lateral abdominal wall as a treatment of the open abdomen (OA). Material and Methods This is a retrospective case series including patients treated for OA from January 2017 till March 2021 with VAWCPOM and BTX-A. Patient records were collected from medical charts, incl. age, sex, body mass index (BMI), comorbidity, initial fascial defect size, time until fascial closure, complications and, when available, outpatient follow-up. Results A total of 33 patients with OA were included. The mean age was 62,5 years, male/female ratio was 15:18, with a mean BMI of 35,4 kg/m2. The mean width of the fascial defect was 13,5 cm (5 - 25cm). The rate of fascial closure was 96,9%, achieved within a mean of 22,7 days. Fascial closure was not attainable in one patient who developed enterocutaneous fistula under treatment. 22 patients experienced in-hospital complications. Short-term follow-up was conducted in 22 patients, with hernia recurrences in three. Conclusions Treatment of OA remains a surgical challenge. This case series shows promising results with a high rate of fascial closure using a combination of VAWCPOM and BTX-A and an acceptable rate of postoperative complications in this severely challenging patient group. The rate of primary closure indicates that this may be the future management of open abdomen.

Early Initiation of a Standardized Open Abdomen Treatment With Vacuum Assisted Mesh-Mediated Fascial Traction Achieves Best Results.

Background: The open abdomen (OA) is an important approach for managing intra-abdominal catastrophes and continues to be the standard of care. Complete fascial closure is an essential treatment objective and can be achieved by the use of different dynamic closure techniques. Both surgical technique and—decision making are essential for optimal patient outcome in terms of fascial closure. The aim of this study was to analyse patients' outcome after the use of mesh-mediated fascial traction (MMFT) associated with negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) and identify important factors that negatively influenced final fascial closure.Methods: A single center ambispective analysis was performed including all patients treated for an open abdomen in a tertiary referral center from 3/2011 till 2/2020. All patients with a minimum survival >24 h after initiation of treatment were analyzed. The data concerning patient management was collected and entered into the Open Abdomen Route of the European Hernia Society (EHS). Patient basic characteristics considering OA indication, primary fascial closure, as well as important features in surgical technique including time after index procedure to start mesh mediated fascial traction, surgical closure techniques and patients' long-term outcomes were analyzed.Results: Data were obtained from 152 patients who underwent open abdomen therapy (OAT) in a single center study. Indications for OAT as per-protocol analysis were sepsis (33.3%), abdominal compartment syndrome (31.6%), followed by peritonitis (24.2%), abdominal trauma (8.3%) and burst abdomen (2.4%). Overall fascial closure rate was 80% as in the per-protocol analysis. When patients that started OA management with MMFT and NPWT from the initial surgery a significantly better fascial closure rate was achieved compared to patients that started 3 or more days later (p < 0.001). An incisional hernia developed in 35.8% of patients alive with a median follow-up of 49 months (range 6–96 months).Conclusion: Our main findings emphasize the importance of a standardized treatment plan, initiated early on during management of the OA. The use of vacuum assisted closure in combination with MMFT showed high rates of fascial closure. Absence of initial intraperitoneal NPWT as well as delayed start of MMFT were risk factors for non-fascial closure. Initiation of OA with VACM should not be unnecessary delayed.

Quality of Life After Open Abdominal Treatment With Vacuum-Assisted Wound Closure and Mesh-Mediated Fascial Traction

Little is known about the long-term outcome of open abdomen treatment with vacuum-assisted wound closure and mesh-3. Therefore, this study's purpose is to evaluate this with a particular focus on incisional hernia development and quality of life (QoL). Fifty-five patients who underwent vacuum-assisted wound closure and mesh-mediated fascial traction at our institution from 2006 to 2013 were prospectively enrolled in this study. After a median follow-up period of 3.8 years, 34 patients attended a follow-up examination, including the SF-36 QoL questionnaire. The fascial closure rate was 74% (intention-to-treat) and 89% (per-protocol). Enteroatmospheric fistulae occurred in 1.8%. In-hospital mortality was 16.4%, and during the follow-up period, it was 27.4%. Incisional hernias developed in 35% of the cases.The SF-36 physical role (54.6 ± 41.0 (0-100), P < 0.01), physical functioning (68.4 ± 29.5 (0-100), P = 0.01), and physical component summary (41.6 ± 13.0 (19-62), P = 0.01) scores for the patient population were significantly lower than normative scores. The mental dimensions of QoL showed no differences.A subgroup analysis revealed that the lower scores for physical role, physical functioning, and physical component summary only existed in the subgroup of incisional hernia patients. In contrast, physical and mental SF-36 scores of patients without incisional hernias did not differ from the normative scores. Vacuum-assisted wound closure and mesh-mediated fascial traction seems to result in low complication rates. However, incisional hernias occur in 35%, which are the leading cause of reduced QoL. Measures to further improve this rate, such as prophylactic meshes, have to be evaluated.

Management of abdominal wound dehiscence: update of the literature and meta-analysis.

Abdominal wound dehiscence (AWD) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. We aimed to provide a contemporary overview of management strategies for AWD. PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane library and a clinical trials registry were searched from 2009 onwards using the key words "abdominal wound dehiscence", "fascial dehiscence" and "burst abdomen". Study outcomes included surgical site infection (SSI), recurrence, incisional hernia and 30-day mortality. Studies reported by the EHS clinical guidelines on AWD were included and compared with. OpenMetaAnalyst was used for meta-analysis to calculate statistical significance and odds ratios (OR). Nineteenstudies were includedreporting on a total of 632 patients: 16 retrospective studies, one early terminated randomized controlled trial, one review and the European Hernia Society guidelines. Nine studies reported use of synthetic mesh (n = 241), two of which used vacuum-assisted mesh-mediated fascial traction (VAWCM) (n = 19), six without VAWCM (n = 198) and one used synthetic mesh with both VAWCM (n = 6) and without VAWCM (n = 18); two used biological mesh (n = 19). Seven studies reported primary suture closure (n = 299). Three studies reported on an alternative method (n = 91). Follow-up ranged between 1 and 96months. Meta-analysis was performed to compare the primary suture group with the synthetic mesh group. Heterogeneity was low to moderate depending on outcome. The overall SSI rate in the primary suture group was 27.6% versus 27.9% in the synthetic mesh group, resulting in mesh explantation in five patients; OR 0.65 (95% CI 0.23-1.81). Incisional hernia rates were 11.1% in the synthetic mesh group (19/171) and 30.7% in the primary suture group (67/218); OR 4.01 (95% CI 1.70-9.46). Recurrence rate did not show a statistically significant difference at 2.7% in the synthetic mesh group (3/112), compared to 10.2% in the primary suture group (21/206); OR 1.81 (95% CI 0.18-17.80). Mortality rates varied between 11.2% and 16.7% for primary suture group versus synthetic mesh; OR 1.85 (95% CI 0.91-3.76). Included studies were of low to very low quality. The use of synthetic mesh results in a significantly lower rate of incisional hernia, whereas SSI rate was comparable to primary suture repair.

Dynamic closure techniques for treatment of an open abdomen: an update.

The open abdomen (OA) is an important approach for managing intra-abdominal catastrophes and continues to be the standard of care. Despite this, challenges remain as it is associated with a high incidence of complications and poor outcomes. The objective is to perform a systematic review on dynamic closure techniques for fascial closure during open abdomen management. An electronic database search was conducted involving 4 different databases (MEDLINE (PubMed), SCOPUS, WEB OF SCIENCE (WOS) and EMBASE). All studies that described dynamic closure techniques in OA patients were eligible for inclusion. Data collected were synthesized by each outcome of interest. Thirteen studies were included in the final synthesis. Overall methodological quality was low with a high number of retrospective observational studies and low number of patients. All included studies are observational cohort studies. No studies reported on the use of either Wittmann patch, dynamic retention sutures or ABRA system. Two studies reported on the ABRA system in combination with Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT), while 9 reported on mesh-mediated fascial traction (MMFT) combined with NPWT. Other types of fascial traction, either by dynamic suture lines or by a self-made silastic tube system, and NPWT were reported in 2 studies. Overall closure rates are 93.2% for the ABRA system + NPWT versus 72.0% for the mesh-mediated fascial traction + NPWT. Careful selection and good management of OA patients will avoid prolonged treatment and facilitate early fascial closure. Future research should focus oncomparison of different temporary dynamic closure techniques to evolve toward best treatment options, in terms of both fascial closure rates and long-term incisional hernia rates.

Open Abdomen Therapy with Vacuum and Mesh-Mediated Fascial Traction after Aortic Repair – An International Multi-Centre Study

Introduction - Abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) may be a lethal complication after aortic surgery. Open abdomen (OA) therapy may be necessary using a temporary abdominal closure dressing. The aim of the study was to analyze the results of OA therapy with vacuum and mesh-mediated fascial traction (VACM) after aortic surgery. Methods - Patients were registered prospectively in clinical data-bases, case-records were reviewed retrospectively. Consecutive patients treated with OA and VACM after aortic surgery at six vascular centres 2006-2015 were included. Results - The study included 191 patients, 155 (81.2%) men. Median age was 71 years (IQR 66–76). The etiologies were; ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (RAAA) (69.1%), non-ruptured AAA (27.2%) and acute type B dissection (3.7%). Endovascular/hybrid and open repairs were performed in 49 and 142 patients, respectively. Among the 157 patients who were alive at termination of OA therapy, the duration of OA was 11 days (IQR 7–16). The primary delayed fascial closure rate was 91.8% (145/157), eleven patients underwent abdominal wall reconstruction, and one was left with a giant ventral hernia. Patients with OA initiated at secondary operation (N=88), compared to those left with OA at the primary operation(N=103) had; more severe OA status (p=0.006), more intestinal ischaemia (p=0.002), longer duration of OA (p=0.007), lower primary delayed fascial closure rate (p=0.003), more renal replacement therapy (RRT, p<0.001), longer intensive care unit stay (p=0.005) and higher in-hospital mortality (p=0.012). Nine patients developed entero-atmosperic fistulae, their mortality was 89%. Seven developed graft infections, all were diagnosed within 6 months, with a mortality of 28.6% at one year. In-hospital mortality was 39.3%. Intestinal ischaemia (OR 3.71, 95% CI 1.55–8.91]), RRT (OR 3.62 [95% CI 1.72–7.65]) and age (OR 1.12, [95% CI 1.06–1.12]), were independent factors associated with in-hospital mortality Conclusion - Vacuum and mesh-mediated fascial traction was associated with a high primary delayed fascial closure rate after often prolonged OA therapy following aortic surgery. Patient outcomes were better when OA was initiated at the primary operation, compared to at secondary operation.

Vacuum Assisted Mesh Mediated Fascial Traction Is Effective at Achieving Secondary Closure of Open Abdomens Following Emergency Laparotomy in a Developing World Setting

Introduction: We have previously described our initial experience with a combination approach known as Vacuum Assisted Mesh Mediated Fascial Traction (VAMMFT). This project reviews our two-year experience with the use of VAMMFT following TAC in patients undergoing an emergency laparotomy. Methods: All patients who could not undergo primary closure at index laparotomy and who required a TAC and subsequently a VAMMFT were identified from Hybrid Electronic Medical Registry (HEMR) and retrieved for analysis. Results: Over the two year period January 2017- January 2019, a total of 77 patients required a VAMMFT following an emergency laparotomy. Of this cohort 15 (19%) died and 62 survived. Of the 15deaths two achieved SFC prior to death and 13 died with a VH. Of the 62 who survived SFC was achieved in 46/62 (74%) and 16/62 (25%) were left with a VH. The overall rate of SFC was 48/77(62%). The median length of stay was 29 days, the median number of repeat laparotomies was4, and median time to first repeat laparotomy was 3 days. A total of 19 patients (32,2%) required ICU admission. The VH group had a significantly longer length of hospital stay than the SFC group. The following morbidities were recorded, anastomotic failure, intra-abdominal sepsis(13), acute kidney injury (8), hospital acquired pneumonia (6) and enteric fistulae (7). Conclusion: VAMMFT seems to both safe and efficacious in our environment. There are no absolute or well defined contraindications to its use. We must continue to audit it’s use to better refine our management strategies going forward.

A preliminary prospective study of patients who underwent vacuum-assisted and mesh-mediated fascial traction techniques for open abdomen management with negative fluid therapy: An observational study.

It is unclear whether strategies targeting negative fluid balance are associated with facilitated early fascial closure. The present study investigated the effects of fluid removal therapy on early facial closure of open abdomen patients.A prospective study was conducted in patients who underwent open abdomen management with vacuum-assisted and mesh-mediated fascial traction technique. Therapeutic diuresis with torasemide was applied to cause negative fluid balance in the treatment group. The study and follow-up periods were 7 and 180 days, respectively. The observational indices included the intra-abdominal pressure, the number of days to closure, the type of closure, the septic complications, the duration of ventilation support, the duration of initial hospital stay, and the duration of intensive care unit (ICU) stay.A total of 27 patients were divided into the treatment (16 patients) and control (11 patients) groups. The median intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) of the patients of the control and the treatment groups was significantly lower at day 7 compared with the baseline value (P < .0001). IAP was lower in the treatment group compared with that noted in the control group, following day 4 of the fluid removal therapy (P < .05). The percentage weight loss in the treatment group was between 4.80% and 10.88%. The early closure rates were significantly higher in the treatment group compared with those in the control group (75.0% vs 18.2%, P = .0063).Fluid removal therapy combined with vacuum-assisted and mesh-mediated fascial traction provided a high early fascial closure rate for open abdomen patients.

Terapia de presión negativa combinada con tracción fascial mediante malla en el tratamiento de la necrosis pancreática infectada. Una nueva opción terapéutica

Acute pancreatitis represents one of the most frequent digestive pathologies worldwide, which can be complicated as an infected necrotizing acute pancreatitis, that may require treatment with necrosectomy and open abdomen with the risk that this leads to the appearance of intestinal fistula and giant incisional hernias difficult to manage. A 35-year-old woman underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis, which was re-admitted due to jaundice and abdominal pain 3 days after her hospital discharge. Diagnostic laparoscopy is performed, where a 3200 cc biliperitoneum secondary to a cystic duct stump leak is located and drained. Likewise, an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is performed, with extraction of an impacted bile gallstone in the distal common bile duct. It presents as a complication of the procedure an acute post-ERCP pancreatitis with infected pancreatic necrosis. Open pancreatic necrosectomy was performed with a negative pressure therapy and mesh-mediated fascial traction, achieving resolution of the infectious condition with definitive closure of the abdominal cavity without incisional hernia or postoperative intestinal fistula. Patients with complicated acute pancreatitis with infected pancreatic necrosis represent a challenge in their treatment due to the serious nature of the condition and the morbidity associated with it. A therapeutic option is presented with the combined use of negative pressure therapy (ABThera™) and mesh-mediated fascial traction. With this report we propose a potential line of research to determine its role in the treatment of these patients, as well as their possible advantages and complications.

Vacuum-Assisted Wound Closure and Permanent Onlay Mesh-Mediated Fascial Traction: A Novel Technique for the Prevention of Incisional Hernia after Open Abdomen Therapy Including Results From a Retrospective Case Series.

Incisional hernia development is a frequent long-term sequel after open abdomen treatment. This report describes a novel technique, the vacuum-assisted wound closure and permanent onlay mesh-mediated fascial traction for temporary and final closure of the open abdomen, with the intention to decrease incisional hernia rates. Primary aim was to evaluate incisional hernia development and secondary aims to describe short-term complications and patient-reported outcome. The basics of the technique is an onlay mesh, applied early during open abdomen treatment by suturing to the fascia in two rows with a 3- to 4-cm overlap from the midline incision, used for traction and kept for reinforced permanent closure. A retrospective case series, including chart review, evaluation of computed tomography/ultrasound images, and an out-patient clinical examination were performed. The patients were asked to answer a modified version of the ventral hernia pain questionnaire. A total of 11 patients were treated with vacuum-assisted wound closure and permanent onlay mesh-mediated fascial traction with median follow-up of 467 days. Fascial closure rate was 100% and 30 day mortality 0%. Two of nine patients, eligible for incisional hernia follow-up, developed a hernia. Neither of the hernias were symptomatic nor clinically detectable. Six of 10 patients eligible for short-term follow-up had a prolonged wound-healing time exceeding 3 weeks. One of seven patients eligible for patient-reported outcome have had pain during the last week. The vacuum-assisted wound closure and permanent onlay mesh-mediated fascial traction is a promising new technique for open abdomen treatment and reinforced fascial closure. The results of the first 11 patients treated with this technique show a low incisional hernia rate with manageable short-term wound complications and few patient-reported disadvantages.

Mesh-augmented versus direct abdominal closure in patients undergoing open abdomen treatment

BackgroundOpen abdomen (OA) may be required in patients with abdominal trauma, sepsis or compartment syndrome. Vacuum-assisted wound closure and mesh-mediated fascial traction (VAWCM) is a widely used approach for temporary abdominal closure to close the abdominal wall. However, this method is associated with a high incidence of re-operations in short term and late sequelae such as incisional hernia. The current study aims to compare the results of surgical strategies of OA with versus without permanent mesh augmentation.MethodsPatients with OA treatment undergoing vacuum-assisted wound closure and an intraperitoneal onlay mesh (VAC-IPOM) implantation were compared to VAWCM with direct fascial closure which represents the current standard of care. Outcomes of patients from two tertiary referral centers that performed the different strategies for abdominal closure after OA treatment were compared in univariate and multivariate regression analysis.ResultsA total of 139 patients were included in the study. Of these, 50 (36.0%) patients underwent VAC-IPOM and 89 (64.0%) patients VAWCM. VAC-IPOM was associated with reduced re-operations (adjusted incidence risk ratio 0.48 per 10-person days; CI 95% = 0.39–0.58, p < 0.001), reduced duration of stay on intensive care unit (ICU) [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 0.53; CI 95% = 0.36–0.79, p = 0.002] and reduced hospital stay (aHR 0.61; CI 95% = 0.040–0.94; p = 0.024). In-hospital mortality [22.5 vs 18.0%, risk difference − 4.5; confidence interval (CI) 95% = − 18.2 to 9.3; p = 0.665] and the incidence of intestinal fistula (18.0 vs 22.0%, risk difference 4.0; CI 95% = −10.0 to 18.0; p = 0.656) did not differ between the two groups. In Kaplan–Meier analysis, hernia-free survival was significantly increased after VAC-IPOM (p = 0.041).ConclusionsIn patients undergoing OA treatment, intraperitoneal mesh augmentation is associated with a significantly decreased number of re-operations, duration of hospital and ICU stay and incidence of incisional hernias when compared to VAWCM.