Serious Alloderm Hernia Repair Problems and Recurrences in Berks County, Pa

According to one study, the use of LifeCell Corp.'s Alloderm for complicated ventral hernia repair is not definitive. The expense of Alloderm demands careful evaluation to justify widespread use.

The study compared two techniques of fascial bridging versus fascial reinforcement repair with regard to their long term recurrence rates using Alloderm. The study retrospectively looked at patients with abdominal defects repaired with Alloderm.

As for the results: 37 patients with abdominal wall repairs using Alloderm were identified from January 2004 and December 2005. Eleven patients underwent bridged fascial repair; 26 patients had reinforced fascial repair. There was no statistical significance between the two groups in terms of average age or body mass index, or the number of earlier abdominal operations.

The average sizes of Alloderm used were 175 cm (2) for bridged and 89 cm (2) for reinforced repair. In patients with reinforced closure, primary repair was achieved with lateral component separation in 22 of 26 patients. The mean follow-up was 21.4 months. In the bridged group, one patient died on postoperative day 20. Of the remaining 10 patients, eight patients developed recurrences.

Seven patients required reoperation, but one patient refused repair. In the reinforced group, four patients were lost to follow-up and two patients died. Four of the remaining 20 patients developed recurrences that required repair; this was significantly different from the recurrence rate in the bridged group.

To conclude, this study demonstrated that the method in which Alloderm is used in abdominal wall reconstruction has a significant impact on recurrence rates.

Have you or loved one been the victim of failed Alloderm hernia repair? If the answer is yes - contact the Berks County, Pa. law firm Anapol Schwartz to find out what legal options you and your family have. Justice must be served against LifeCell Corp.

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