AWH formation from a Materials Science Perspective

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Abdominal Wall Hernia formation from a Materials Science Perspective

• IRAS ID

  310229

• Contact name

  Srinivas Chintapatla

• Contact email

  Srinivas.Chintapatla@york.nhs.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 11 months, 31 days

• Research summary

  Abdominal wall hernias are the outward protrusion of intestines through a defect in the abdominal wall. Often such hernias are the consequence of previously made incisions, and then called incisional hernias (IH). IH can have serious medical implications; cause physical limitations, body image and mental wellbeing issues. They are highly prone to recurrence requiring complex surgeries and expensive materials. These complications call for new approaches in investigating IH development.
  Collagen, the most abundant protein in the body is responsible for connective tissue and scar formation. There is evidence that changes in collagen type and morphology lead to weakened scar tissue and IH formation in a subset of patients. In addition, our surgeons observed hard and brittle white tissue around the hernia ring. These are suspected mineral deposits. If the scar becomes brittle due to mineralisation, it is prone to fracturing and hernia development.
  We aim to identify collagen alterations in a small cohort of patients under the care of the York Abdominal Wall Unit (YAWU). Eligible patients will be listed for hernia repair surgery. We plan to compare scar tissue around the hernia ring to linea alba tissue in the midline away from the hernia an another sample taken from the patients thigh as control tissue to identify collagen alterations. We will analyse the samples using advanced materials science tools such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) in conjunction with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS); and Raman Spectroscopy (RS), which provide nanoscale analysis of materials. This is a new collaboration between YAWU (with expertise in abdominal wall hernias) and the Department of Physics, University of York (where the materials science tools and expertise are available). Study completion is planned within 15 months. The results will uncover the feasibility of the advanced techniques and possible collagen alterations in IH patients.
  

• REC name

  North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  21/NW/0361

• Date of REC Opinion

  13 Jan 2022

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion