An interventional study of Integrated Mesh-Fascial Closure and Standard Fascial Closure with Mesh in Incisional Hernia Repair and Ventral Incisional Hernia, sponsored by Hospital Zonal General De Agudos Mario V Larrain. Recruiting at 1 site in Argentina. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-14.
Sponsored by Hospital Zonal General De Agudos Mario V Larrain · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
This study compares two surgical techniques for closing the abdominal wall in adult patients who have an incisional hernia (a weakness or opening in a previous surgical incision) or who require prophylactic mesh placement during a laparotomy.
In one group, the abdominal wall is closed using the standard technique, in which a polypropylene mesh is fixed independently from the fascial suture. In the other group, Integrated Mesh-Fascial Closure (IMFC) is used, a standardized execution of the technique of mesh incorporation into the fascial closure described by Jamal et al (Hernia, 2013).
The choice of technique is made by the patient after receiving information about both options and providing informed consent. Participants will be followed clinically and with imaging for 18 to 24 months to evaluate the safety, technical feasibility, and reproducibility of the IMFC technique, and to determine the incidence of hernia recurrence in both groups.
Incisional hernia is one of the most frequent complications of abdominal surgery, with a reported incidence of 10-20% after laparotomy, and recurrence rates after mesh repair reaching 20-30% in long-term follow-up. In conventional techniques, primary fascial closure and mesh fixation are performed as two mechanically independent steps, concentrating tension on the suture line during the acute postoperative period.
The Integrated Mesh-Fascial Closure (IMFC) technique integrates a macroporous polypropylene mesh within a continuous fascial suture line (pattern: mesh → right fascial edge → left fascial edge → mesh), aiming to distribute tensile load simultaneously between the fascia and the prosthesis, potentially reducing the incidence of hernia recurrence compared to standard closure. The principle of incorporating the mesh into the fascial closure was described by Jamal et al in a retrospective series of 72 patients. IMFC standardizes its execution (suture material, 5-mm bites in mesh and fascia, anchoring of the suture line in healthy aponeurosis, and optional minimal peripheral fixation) and evaluates it prospectively against standard closure.
This is a prospective, comparative, quasi-experimental (non-randomized) study conducted at a single center (Hospital Zonal General de Agudos "Dr. Mario V. Larrain," Berisso, Argentina). Eligible patients choose, after informed consent, between standard mesh closure (Group A) or IMFC (Group B). Both groups follow the same clinical and imaging follow-up schedule (days 7, 15, 30; months 2, 6, 12, 18; and a final visit between 18 and 24 months).
The study is designed as an initial, hypothesis-generating comparison of safety, technical feasibility, and reproducibility across surgeons, intended to support a future randomized trial.
212 studies on the registry are indexed under Incisional Hernia; 58 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 60 is below the median of 110 across 130 interventional studies indexed under Incisional Hernia.
Browse Incisional Hernia studies →This is the only study on the registry with Hospital Zonal General De Agudos Mario V Larrain as lead sponsor.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Able to become pregnant: from the first period until menopause, unless permanently unable to through surgery (removal of the womb, or of both ovaries or both fallopian tubes).
Criteria for people of childbearing potential usually ask for a negative pregnancy test and for contraception during the study and for a time after it.
Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.
Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.
Childbearing potential
Able to become pregnant: from the first period until menopause, unless permanently unable to through surgery (removal of the womb, or of both ovaries or both fallopian tubes).
Criteria for people of childbearing potential usually ask for a negative pregnancy test and for contraception during the study and for a time after it.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Contraception
Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.
Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Conventional fascial closure using a macroporous polypropylene mesh fixed independently from the closure suture
Procedure: Standard Fascial Closure with Mesh
Fascial closure using the Integrated Mesh-Fascial Closure (IMFC) technique: the mesh is incorporated within the trajectory of a single continuous fascial suture (pattern: mesh → right fascial edge → left fascial edge → mesh
Procedure: Integrated Mesh-Fascial Closure
Same materials integrated into a single continuous suture line using the IMFC technique.
Macroporous polypropylene mesh (FILAPROP™/MERIGROW™) plus non-absorbable polypropylene suture, placed using the conventional (independent) technique.
Recurrence rate of incisional hernia
Proportion of participants with hernia recurrence, assessed by clinical physical examination and abdominal wall ultrasound, performed in all participants at 6 months and at the final visit (18-24 months). All ultrasound evaluations performed by the same sonographer throughout the study; the sonographer is aware of study participation but blinded to the specific surgical technique (IMFC vs. standard closure) received by each participant.
Time frame: 18-24 months (final follow-up visit)
Rate of Major Intraoperative and Postoperative Complications
Proportion of participants experiencing a serious adverse event (SAE), defined per ICH E6(R3) as death, a life-threatening event, hospitalization or prolongation of hospitalization, persistent or significant disability, or an unplanned surgical reintervention. Postoperative complications additionally graded using the Clavien-Dindo classification system (Grade I-V) to assess severity.
Time frame: Throughout study participation (up to 24 months)
Operative time and fascial closure time
Total operative time (from skin incision to skin closure) and fascial closure time (from start to completion of the mesh-fascial suture line), both measured in minutes and recorded intraoperatively by the surgical team using the operating room clock.
Time frame: Intraoperative (during the surgical procedure)
Postoperative Pain Assessed by the 0-10 Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NRS-11)
Self-reported postoperative pain intensity measured using the 11-point Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NRS-11), an unabbreviated verbally- or visually-administered numeric scale ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates "no pain" and 10 indicates "worst pain imaginable." Higher scores indicate worse (more severe) pain. Assessed at rest.
Time frame: Postoperative days 7, 15, and 30
Rate of Early Postoperative Complications (Infection, Seroma, Dehiscence, Hematoma)
Proportion of participants with surgical site infection, seroma, wound dehiscence, or hematoma, identified by clinical examination at scheduled postoperative visits (days 7, 15, and 30) and graded according to the Clavien-Dindo classification.
Time frame: Up to 30 days postoperative
Total Direct Hospital Costs (ARS) Associated with Complications or Reoperations
Total direct hospital costs, expressed in Argentine pesos (ARS), attributable to management of complications or unplanned reoperations, extracted from institutional administrative and billing records. Exploratory outcome; not powered for formal statistical comparison between groups.
Time frame: Up to 24 months (exploratory)
Plan to share: No
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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