Characterizing the Ex-Vivo Properties of Prolapse Meshes

Pelvic organ prolapse is a common condition that affects roughly 30–40% of women in their lifetime (1). Although not all women become symptomatic, 225,000 to 280,000 require surgery for prolapse each year (1). Prolapse occurs when the vagina can no longer support the pelvic organs. Thus, many urogynecological procedures use synthetic meshes to restore the supportive capacity of the vagina. However, a significant underreported proportion of women undergoing mesh procedures require a procedure to remove surgically placed mesh due to pain, exposure, erosion, and dyspareunia (2). It is suspected that these complications are related to mesh structural properties. However, since there are a wide variety of mesh products in use with little known about their properties before and after implantation, identifying the role of mesh in surgical failure has been difficult.