Selectively Absorbable Surgical Mesh for Hernia Repair

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Hernia repair is one of the most frequently performed surgical operations in the United States with approximately 800,000 procedures performed annually. The vast majority of these repairs employ a tension- free repairtechnique which involves the use of synthetic surgical meshes. Existing mesh technology is designed to be of high strength to produce a perceived robust repair. However, these meshes are unable to respond to the dynamic biological needs of the wound healing process. Mesh contraction, increased rigidity over time, entrapment of sensory nerves, and chronic inflammatory responses to the prosthesis, among other mesh-related factors, contribute to long-term complications such as chronic pain, increased abdominal wall stiffness and fibrosis. Therefore, the overall goal of this project is to create a novel surgical mesh that modulates its biomechanical properties in vivo based on the dynamic needs of the wound healing process resulting in a reduction of long-