Short-term study on the safety of antimicrobial-agent-impregnated ePTFE patches for hernia repair

To determine whether expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) patches impregnated with silver and chlorhexidine produce any adverse effects, we compared patients in whom impregnated and standard ePTFE patches were implanted at hernia repair. Patients undergoing open or laparoscopic prosthetic inguinal or ventral hernia repair were randomly assigned to receive either an impregnated (n = 18) or standard (n = 19) ePTFE patch. Assessments were performed preoperatively and on days 7-10, 40-44, and 80-84 postoperatively. Mean values from standard blood tests and urinalyses were within normal ranges in both study groups. The standard-patch group had a higher mean alkaline phosphatase concentration (p = 0.02), probably because of two outlying values. In the impregnated-patch group, there was one prolonged ileus and two postoperative seromas. The addition of silver and chlorhexidine to ePTFE patches does not appear to produce any adverse systemic or clinical effects after hernia repair.