Synthetic Mesh Shows Cost Advantage and Pain Reduction in Hernia Repair

The study compared patient-reported quality of life scores and costs after ventral hernia repair surgeries using either biologic or synthetic mesh. There were no significant differences between the two mesh types in terms of overall quality of life measures. However, the synthetic mesh group showed a greater reduction in disability, specifically in the physical role limitations and pain domains of the SF-36 survey. Additionally, overall costs per patient were lower for synthetic mesh. These findings suggest that synthetic mesh may have advantages over biologic mesh in terms of pain reduction and cost-effectiveness for ventral hernia repair.