Cost-utility analysis of the use of prophylactic mesh augmentation compared with primary fascial suture repair in patients at high risk for incisional hernia.

Although hernia repair with mesh can be successful, prophylactic mesh augmentation (PMA) represents a potentially useful preventative technique to mitigate incisional hernia risk in select high-risk patients. The efficacy, cost-benefit, and societal value of such an intervention are not known. The aim of this study was to determine the cost-utility of using prophylactic mesh to augment fascial incisions.