The development of prosthetic biomaterials revolutionized surgery for the repair of abdominal wall hernias in humans. A tensionfree mesh technique has drastically reduced recurrence rates for all hernias compared to tissue repairs and has made it possible to reconstruct large ventral defects that were previously irreparable. Abdominal wall defects (hernias, eventrations, eviscerations) in large animals (cattles, horses) present also o high incidence, leading to morbidity, low productions, infertilities, poor performances. We used in our study polypropylene mesh which facilitated the reconstruction of large tissue defects in 6 animals (3 cows and 3 horses) and was not associated with any serious complications. The results of this study allow us to say that the use of prosthetic biomaterials is superior to simple suture repair and represent a modern and safely procedure in large animals. The biocompatibility of these biomaterials
for long periods warrants further investigations.
