Biological mesh combined with topical negative pressure therapy in complex abdominal wounds: A short series and a review of the literature

Introduction. Complex abdominal wounds (CAWs) are an increasing clinical problem in abdominal surgery and pose a challenge for the surgeon. Objective. This review analyzes the results of treating CAWs with a porcine biological mesh and topical negative pressure (TNP) to address the feasibility, effectiveness, level of risk, and overall results. Materials and Methods. A series of 4 consecutive cases treated with the biologic mesh and TNP at the General Surgery Unit of the Cannizzaro Hospital (Catania, Italy) is reported and analyzed. In addition, a review of the literature published in all languages from 2000 to 2015 in the MEDLINE/PubMed database was performed to identify cases of CAWs treated with the association of biologic mesh and TNP. Results. Taking into account the authors' experience and review of literature, a total of 12 patients (4 treated in the authors' department) were treated with the aforementioned combination. The main indications for using this association were a large abdominal wall defect, laparotomy, or wound dehiscence and wound infection. In almost all cases, this combination demonstrated a successful outcome with a clear improvement in wound healing and no adverse effects. Conclusions. From these cases and the review of the literature, the authors believe TNP can be applied on a biological mesh with effectiveness in improving the treatment of the CAWs without relevant risk to the patient or biological mesh.