Partial versus complete removal of the infected mesh after abdominal wall hernia repair.

Background: To compare the results with complete mesh removal (CMR) versus partial mesh removal (PMR) in the treatment of mesh infection after abdominal wall hernia repair (AWHR). Methods: Retrospective review of all patients who underwent surgery for mesh infection between January 2004 and May 2014 at a tertiary center. Results: Of 3470 cases of AWHR, we reported 66 cases (1.9%) of mesh infection, and 48 repairs (72.7%) required mesh explantation. CMR was achieved on 38 occasions, while PMR was undertaken ten times. We observed more postoperative complications in CMR than PMR group (p = 0.04). Three patients with intestinal fistula were reoperated in postoperative period after a difficult …