• Janusz Strzelczyk, Leszek Czupryniak, Jerzy Loba, and Janusz Wasiak.
• Department of General and Transplant Surgery, Barlicki University Hospital No 1, Medical University of Lodz, Kopcinskiego 22, Poland. davidst@polbox.com
• Langenbecks Arch Surg. 2002 Nov 1;387(7-8):294-7.

BackgroundIncisional hernia is a common problem following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass for morbid obesity.Patients And MaterialsWe report the preliminary results of nonrandomized prophylactic use of polypropylene mesh in a group of 60 consecutive patients. The patients with highest body mass index, and/or history of abdominal hernias and profound liver damage had abdominal wall reinforced with mesh during an operation. A year later the wound was assessed in all patients.ResultsIn standard wound closure group (n=48) incisional hernia was found in 9 cases (20%). None of the patients with inserted mesh (n=12) developed hernia. The length of hospital stay in mesh group was similar to that in the nonmesh group and shorter than in patients with hernia occurrence. Mesh insertion was complicated with wound discharge in three patients.ConclusionsIn our opinion prophylactic use of polypropylene mesh in bariatric patients is highly effective in postoperative hernia prevention.

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