Functionalization of textile medical devices for hernia repair

Fabrication of biomaterials composed of natural and synthetic materials that are incorporated with an antibiotic is an attractive topic in wound healing. This study involves the design, development, and evaluation of a new multifunctional hernia mesh for the treatment of abdominal wall defects without complications. The developed hernia mesh is a composite of synthetic and natural materials with its backbone consisting of PES, PA and PP mesh to provide the required mechanical integrity. The meshes were coated with a natural, biodegradable, biocompatible and antimicrobial layer of chitosan (CS) for healing promotion and incorporating gentamicin sulfate (GS) as an antibacterial agent. The developed mesh showed excellent biocompatibility, antimicrobial activity and mechanical properties, and could be an ideal and feasible alternative mesh for hernia with many advantages, such as low cost, inertness, mechanical stability, pliability, low rate of infection, non-carcinogenicity, restricted inflammatory reaction, hypoallergenic and minimal complications.