What is the best prosthetic material for patch repair of congenital diaphragmatic hernia? Comparison and meta-analysis of porcine small intestinal submucosa and polytetrafluoroethylene

Background: Prosthetic patches are widely used for congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) repair. We compared the complication rate of absorbable (Surgisis [SIS]; Cook Biotech, Inc, West Lafayette, IN) and nonabsorbable (polytetrafluoroethylene [PTFE]) materials for this purpose. Methods: This is a retrospective review of all neonates with CDH undergoing patch closure at our institution over 10 years. Meta-analysis was also performed combining our data with the published literature examining the effect of patch type on recurrence and small bowel obstruction (SBO). Results: Primary patch (13 SIS, 9 PTFE) repair was performed in 22 (26%) of 84 patients with CDH. Groups were comparable in terms of demographics, hospital stay, ventilator days, need for high frequency oscillation, age at surgery, and length of follow-up. Likewise, recurrence rate (SIS, 4 [31%]; PTFE, 3 [33%]; P, nonsignificant [NS]), incidence of postoperative SBO (SIS, 1 [7%] vs PTFE, 2 [22%]; P, NS), and mortality (SIS, 2 [15%] and PTFE, 2 [22%]; P, NS) were similar. Meta-analysis failed to find a significant difference between SIS and PTFE both for recurrence rate (odds ratio, 1.21 [0.51-2.84]; P, NS) and SBO (odds ratio, 1.47 [0.44-4.96]; P, NS). Conclusions: There was no difference in the incidence of CDH recurrence, SBO, or mortality post-CDH patch repair using either SIS or PTFE in our series. Meta-analysis failed to show any difference in recurrence and SBO rates between the 2 materials.