E-Posters-10257

10257_Knight
Pdf Summary
This study explores the host response to an elastomeric mesh as an alternative to polypropylene mesh for prolapse repair. The current polypropylene meshes often induce complications such as pain and mesh contraction. The polypropylene meshes also elicit a prolonged inflammatory response and fibrosis, which can lead to shrinkage. Larger pore meshes have been found to yield decreased fibrosis. The researchers have developed a novel elastomeric mesh made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) with auxetic pores that expand in response to tension. The objective of the study is to evaluate the host response to the elastomeric mesh and determine the impact of pore size on this response, as well as compare it to polypropylene mesh. It is hypothesized that larger pore elastomeric meshes will have a decreased fibrotic response, while polypropylene mesh will have an increased fibrotic response compared to the elastomeric mesh. Two elastomeric meshes with different pore sizes (1.0 mm and 1.5 mm) and a commercial polypropylene mesh were implanted into rats for 35 days. The host response to the meshes was evaluated using staining techniques. The histologic and fibrosis quantification results showed that the host cellular response to the elastomeric mesh consisted of rounded mononuclear and spindle-shaped cells, while the response to polypropylene mesh contained mainly rounded mononuclear and multinucleated giant cells. The elastomeric mesh also had less collagen deposition compared to the polypropylene mesh. Overall, the host response to the elastomeric mesh was similar to that of a foreign material, but there was an absence of bridging fibrosis and healthy tissue incorporation within the pores of the elastomeric mesh. The manufacturing technique and material stiffness may have contributed to the observed decrease in fibrotic response for the elastomeric mesh. Future studies will evaluate the response to the elastomeric mesh in a more relevant surgical procedure and larger animal model.
Keywords
elastomeric mesh
polypropylene mesh
prolapse repair
complications
inflammatory response
fibrosis
pore size
polydimethylsiloxane
host response
collagen deposition