There are wide varieties of the surgical options which exist for the abdominal wall reconstruction. Part of the key to the success, however, consist on rightly choosing the required operation which would eventually give the most functional and the most aesthetic result while focusing on the measures in order to decrease the incidence of the catastrophic complications and need for the reoperation. The Journal of Abdominal Wall Reconstruction review the reconstructive modalities for the abdominal wall defects, with the special attention to the complex ventral hernias and also the components separation techniques. The description of the recent scientific advances and the emphasis on a multidisciplinary approach to the patient care reflects the current trends and going forward to the use of the bio prosthetic materials.

Abdominal wall defects may be congenital or acquired. Some defects manifest themselves as massive ventral hernias and result from the prior abdominal operations, trauma or edema related loss of the domain, massive infection, radiation necrosis, or tumor resection. Prevention of evisceration, creation of a tension free abdominal wall repair with dynamic muscle support and stable soft tissue coverage are the goals of abdominal wall reconstruction. Decisions regarding technique are based on an assessment of the overall clinical status of the patient, the location and the size of the defect as well as the extension of layers involved, and etiology.

Revolutionary advances have been developed in the past 20 years with respect to the abdominal wall reconstruction. The innovative surgical approaches and also the new biological and prosthetic materials have indeed become an integral part of the overall surgical arsenal. Patients with complex abdominal wall defects must be well-evaluated on an individual basis; interventions can certainly vary from the simple coverage and contouring to the reconstruction of a dynamic functional abdominal wall. The Journal of Abdominal Wall Reconstruction reviews the abdominal wall reconstruction, with particular attention to the ventral hernias, the components separation procedure, and the usage of the bioprosthetic materials.

Contact: jawr@meddocsonline.org