Purpose: A case-control study was performed to compare laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LVHR) using the Ventralight ST™ lightweight surgical mesh with LVHR using other types of mesh.
Methods: Adult patients undergoing intraperitoneal implantation of Ventralight ST™ during LVHR (Ventralight ST™ group; VG) over a 2-year period (2011-2013) were identified from the prospective French Hernia-Club registry. Patients undergoing elective LVHR using other types of intraperitoneal mesh in the first semester of 2013 formed the control group (CG). Patient, hernia and surgical characteristics, and postoperative outcomes after 8 days, 1 month, and 1 year were compared between the two groups.
Results: The VG comprised 90 LVHRs in 85 patients, and the CG 86 LVHRs in 81 patients. Patient, hernia and surgical characteristics were similar between the two groups, apart from the method of mesh fixation and the number of procedures involving fascial closure. A low rate of minor complications was observed in both groups at 1 month [4.4 % (VG) and 2.3 % (CG)], and the level of postoperative pain was similar in the two groups at Day 8 and 1 month. After 1 year, no complications, recurrences or cases of chronic pain had occurred in either group, and Quality-of-Life outcomes were similar. Patients rated their procedure as excellent or good in 96 % (VG) and 92 % (CG) of cases.
Conclusions: Ventralight ST™ mesh is effective and well tolerated in LVHR, producing very low complication and recurrence rates in the short and medium term. The results are comparable to those achieved with other types of mesh.
Keywords: Case–control study; Intraperitoneal mesh repair; Laparoscopic hernia repair; Lightweight mesh; Registry; Ventral hernia repair.