The repair of inguinal hernias using carbon fibre patches--a five-year follow-up.

One hundred and eight inguinal hernias were treated following a standard surgical technique, using 3-mm thick loosely woven carbon-fibre patches. The average follow-up was five and a half years. There was one recurrence.

An experimental study of the use of a carbon fibre patch as a hernia prosthesis material.

Carbon fibre patches were inserted as prostheses into the dorsal lumbar fascia of rabbits. Their incorporation into the tissues was observed over a period of 15 weeks, and their mechanical properties were compared with those of implants made of a conventional Mersilene mesh. Although the mechanical properties of carbon fibre patches are initially poor, the development of a superior connective tissue response after several weeks suggests that a layered composite of carbon fibre and Mersilene with the latter giving initial strength may provide a useful material for clinical use as a hernia prosthesis.