New biological meshes:the need for a register.The EHS Registry for Biological Prostheses:Call for partecipating European surgeons

Non-absorbable prosthetic materials in hernia surgery can cause relatively rare complications, which include chronic pain, a feeling of stiVness with reduced compliance of the abdominal wall, prosthetic erosion/Wstulisation and an increased risk of persistent deep infection. Recently, to avoid these problems, new “biological” prosthetic materials have been developed and proposed for clinical use. These materials are all essentially composed of an extracellular matrix stripped of its cellular components, and diVer substantially only in their source (porcine small intestine submucosa, porcine dermis or cadaveric human dermis). Because of the numerous variables involved, it is very diYcult to conduct a randomised controlled trial. Therefore, the European Hernia Society (EHS) has decided to start the EHS Registry for Biological Prostheses (ERBP). This is a prospective registry in Europe on the use of collagen meshes in (potentially) contaminated circumstances or clean surgical Welds. The registry intends to collect some preoperative data on the patient and indication, intraoperative data and outcome data.