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I Have a Hernia Due to DIEP Surgery. Is Alloderm Safe for Hernia Repair?
asked 1 year ago by brcansurvivor in Medford, OR
Latest answer by C. Bob Basu, MD
Question viewed 364 times
Tags: hernia, safety
7 answers to I Have a Hernia Due to DIEP Surgery. Is Alloderm Safe for Hernia Repair?
+2
Alloderm for Hernia Repair after DIEP flap
AlloDerm is made from human skin. It stretched approximately 30%, which makes it ideal for reconstruction with expanders. Unfortunately, this stretching is a drawback for hernia repair.
Strattice is made from pig skin that is treated so it is not rejected by the body. It doesn't stretch, so it is superior for hernia repair.
The first step is to have a true diagnosis of your bulge. It may just be from weakening of your abdominal wall caused by removing some of the nerve supply, or...
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+2
Is Alloderm safe for hernia repair?
Alloderm is safe in repairing abdominal hernias, however, it is usually not the material of choice for most plastic surgeons today. This is because the properties of Alloderm that make it great for the breast (stretching and incorporation) make it a lesser choice for fixing hernias that really need to be tight and not stretch. There are many other products on the market now that would be better for your repair.
+2
Alloderm after DIEP
Alloderm is made for cadaver human skin. One important characterstic is that Alloderm stretches significantly with time. If Alloderm must be used we tend to use thicker pieces, or we just used a synthetic mesh.
Fadi Nukta, MD
Reston Plastic Surgeon
Reston Plastic Surgeon
+2
Strattice may be preferable to Alloderm for hernia repair
Both products are acellular dermis, meaning that they come from skin with the cells removed leaving the collagen matrix. This acts as a template for your own tissue to grow in. Alloderm works very well in the breast to support implants, but Strattice is stronger and less flexible so a good choice for hernias.
+2
Alloderm for hernia?
Alloderm has historically been used for hernia repair, but bulging following this repair is not infrequent. Thus, stronger materials are now more commonly chosen for hernia repair including various synthetic meshes. Alloderm is cadaveric dermis that is depleted of human cells and antigens, so it is not rejected by an immune response from the recipient. it serves as a scaffold that is incorporated with recipient cells, but it has limited strength. The abdominal wall is...
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Jason R. Hess, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon
San Diego Plastic Surgeon
+2
Alloderm for hernia after DIEP
Soemtimes patients develop a bulge or weakness and not a true hernia over the lower abdomen when a DIEP is performed or a TRAM flap. Alldoerm is usually not strong enough for repairing this bulge.
+1
Hernia/Bulge after Flap reconstruction
Do you truly have a hernia or is it a bulge in your tummy area? I concur with my colleagues. AlloDerm does tend to stretch and its likely not the best option to correct a bulge or hernia. Rather a more firm product like Strattice (porcine product) would be more helpful to improve your tummy area
