Abstract

Temporary prostheses made of Silastic-encased Dacron sheets have been demonstrated both experimentally and clinically to have considerable potential for repair of abdominal wall defects which are not amenable to conventional surgical management. The fact that they are used only temporarily while they generate a host-tissue reaction which serves to correct the hernia defect introduces a new and different principle to hernia repair. This technic would also seem to be useful for closing traumatic abdominal wall defects, as well as defects occurring secondary to massive resection for invasive carcinoma. Any size defect can conceivably be covered if one has enough Silastic even though there is not sufficient skin to cover the Silastic itself. The postoperative problems which have occurred to date do not seem prohibitive. Certainly the procedure seems worthy of additional clinical trials.