J Pediatr Surg

. 2025 Oct 21:162752.

 doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2025.162752. Online ahead of print. https://cdhi.org/wp-admin/post.php?post=60723&action=edit

Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Repair:Patches, Muscle Flaps, and the Search for the Ideal Technique

Kathrin Zahn ¹, Joe Curry ², Patrice Eastwood ³, Holly L Hedrick ⁴, Pablo Laje ⁵

Affiliations Expand

• PMID: 41130460
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2025.162752

Abstract

There is a variable defect size in both left and right-sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia. The majority can be repaired using primary apposition but in a significant minority this will not be possible. A number of surgical techniques have been developed to overcome this problem but in principle these can be divided into the creation of a muscle flap usually derived from layers of the abdominal wall rotated into the gap or the insertion of a prosthetic patch. The composition of the latter has also been subject to variation and has been largely non-absorbable or absorbable and dependent on surgical preference. This article summarises the debate at a recent conference symposium by illustrating two forms of prosthetic patch repairs and a muscle flap repair. It concludes with an update on the efforts that have been made to achieve this using various tissue engineering technologies.

Keywords: congenital diaphragmatic hernia; muscle flap; prosthetic patch.

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