Incisional, epigastric and umbilical hernia repair using the Prolene Hernia System: describing a novel technique

The Prolene Hernia System (PHS) is already widely in use in the United Kingdom for inguinal hernias. We describe the novel technique of using the three-in-one design of the PHS (Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Bracknell, UK) for repairing incisional, epigastric and umbilical herniae. This is a three-dimensional device and consists of an onlay patch, a tubular connector and an underlay patch. We recommend a four ‘corner’ suturing of the underlay patch under vision (and then) through the full thickness of abdominal wall layers to ensure a flat underlay mesh. These four sutures flatten out the underlay patch and can be tied or removed with equal effect. The sutures are placed at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock, which simplifies the procedure and ensures that the underlay lays correctly and is corrugation-free and tension-free, thereby providing a two-layer repair for those herniae with a high rate of recurrence. Both authors are independent surgeons who have no conflicts of interest with Ethicon Endo-Surgery. This report has not been published elsewhere; the information contained in it has recently been presented as a poster at the National Hernia Symposium in Birmingham, UK, 8 February 2006.