accomplished with the use of mesh. The topic of which mesh could ll the pages of an entire book. Indeed, there are four chapters in this book devoted to the topic of prosthetics and mesh selection, so we will refer the reader to those for details regard­ing the subject. In brief, the principal selection criteria for a laparoscopic repair are based on whether the mesh will be directly exposed to the bowel. When performing an IPOM repair, the mesh is in direct contact with the bowel, and, thus, a mesh with an adhesion barrier is critical in the pursuit of avoiding complications of small bowel obstructions and stulae [29]. Most manufacturers of polypropylene or poly­ester meshes offer a product with an adhesion barrier on the visceral side. Typically, this is a hydrophilic component that resorbs over time. Alternatively, expanded polytetrauoroethylene (ePTFE) is less adhesiogenic, and thus prosthetics com­posed of this do not have an additional adhesion barrier [30]. In contrast, the parietal side of the mesh should facilitate tissue ingrowth to provide secure xation. In an effort to achieve this ideal mesh, there are products composed of two different com­ponents available as well. If a transabdominal pre-peritoneal approach is utilized, a non-coated mesh is preferred. The peritoneum protects the viscera from the mesh, so no other barrier is needed, and some would argue anything else would interfere with ingrowth and potentially increase risk for seroma formation.

J. Blank and M. I. Goldblatt