Characterisation of synthetic surgical mesh for hernia repair with regard to physicochemical and mechanical properties

A large variety of synthetic meshes is available for hernia repair, differentiated by conformation and cost. Industrial nets are often implemented in less developed countries, as an af- fordable alternative. Even if there are some clinical evidences of successful surgical outcomes, the physicochemical and mechani- cal properties of these nets have been not investigated in detail and compared to outline performances and overall reliability. In this work, a sterilized multifilament polyester industrial net and a well-established mesh of the same polymer are investigated. Morphological characteristics and physicochemical properties are evaluated through SEM, IR spectroscopy, TGA and DSC. Uniaxial tensile tests are carried out to evaluate the mechanical behaviour. This investigation highlights that specific industrial nets have structural conformation and chemical composition comparable to synthetic surgical mesh. The industrial net shows a stiffening behaviour different from the almost linear anisotropic response of surgical mesh. This study provides a preliminary support to the use of low- cost industrial nets for abdominal surgery, once their biocompat- ibility and in-vivo stability have been carefully evaluated.