Biopsy specimen were excised at defined postoperative stages from patients who underwent hernia repair with the 3D prosthesis named ProFlor. Scope of the study was to determine the presence, quantity and quality of the vascular elements ingrowth within the implant fabric. Histology revealed the presence of multiple angiogenetic clusters that, starting from the early stage post-implantation, increased in number and degree of maturation. In the long term, the detected vascular components assumed the typical aspect of mature veins and arteries complete in all components. The development of fully developed vascular structures, ingrowing together with other components of the abdominal wall already described in literature, seems to finalize a regenerative response. This kind of behavior, being the expected result from a device intended for the cure of inguinal hernia and its degenerative source, seems to be coherent with the pathogenesis of the disease.
The investigation is aimed at specifically demonstrating the ingrowth of newly formed vascular elements within ProFlor, a 3D dynamic responsive implant for inguinal hernia repair