Abdominal wall hernia repair: a comparison of Permacol® and Surgisis® grafts in a rat hernia model

Background This study compared two porcine-derived grafts Permacol (Tissue Science Laboratory, Covington, GA, USA) and Surgisis (Cook Surgical, Bloomington, IN, USA) in terms of strength of incorporation (SOI), incorporation of host tissue, and adhesion formation using a rat model. Methods A prospective randomized study using 48 Sprague-Dawley rats. A standardized 1.5 x 5 cm fascial defect was created and repaired with either Permacol or Surgisis grafts. The rats were then sacrificed at 3, 14, 28, or 60 days. The specimens were examined for SOI, neovascularization, collagen deposition, collagen organization, and adhesion formation. Results Surgisis had significantly greater SOI than Permacol at 28 (0.115 vs. 0.0754 Mpa) and 60 days (0.131 vs. 0.635 Mpa). Surgisis had significantly more collagen deposition and neovascularization than Permacol at 60 days. The area of adhesions was not significantly different between Surgisis and Permacol. Conclusion Surgisis is superior to Permacol in terms of SOI and tissue ingrowth at 60 days. Furthermore, Surgisis strengthened over time whereas Permacol decreased in strength.