Early wound morbidity and clinical outcomes associated with P4HB mesh compared to permanent synthetic mesh in umbilical and small to medium, routine ventral hernia repairs

BackgroundPermanent synthetic meshes such as polypropylene (PP) have been utilized for hernia repair for decades, but concerns remain regarding potential long-term, mesh-related complications. A resorbable polymer such as poly-4-hydroxybutyrate (P4HB) represents an alternative with high initial strength, that gradually resorbs, leaving an abdominal wall that is at least as strong as it would be in its native state. We aimed to compare early wound morbidity and clinical outcomes associated with P4HB to traditional, permanent PP in umbilical and small to medium, routine ventral hernias using data from the Abdominal Core Health Quality Collaborative (ACHQC).MethodsInclusion criteria for the umbilical cohort included: all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wound classes, all Ventral Hernia Working Group (VHWG) hernia grades, and hernia defects