Necessary duration of follow-up to assess complications of mesh in hernia surgery: a time-lapse study based on 460 explants (22 September 2020)

Summary

Risk of complications following hernia repair is the key parameter to assess risk/benefit ratio of a technique. As mesh devices are permanent, their risks are life-long. Too many reports in the past assessed mesh safety prematurely after short follow-ups. Peterson et al. aimed to explore what length of follow up would reveal the full extent of complications.

The authors concluded that follow-up of more than 15 years is needed to fully assess complications after mesh hernia repair. Especially longer periods are needed to detect mesh erosion into organs and complications in younger males. Presently, short observations and lack of reporting standard in the literature prohibit accurate assessment of complication risks.