Magnetic resonance imaging for visualization, segmentation and 3D reconstruction of surgical meshes in the lower abdomen: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to provide a comprehensive review on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and its utility to postoperatively assess visibility and deformation of surgical mesh in patients with groin hernia or pelvic organ prolapse (POP). METHOD: PubMed, Web of Science and Embase were searched on July 7th, 2026 using the keywords "surgical mesh" AND ("groin hernia" OR "POP") AND "MRI". Observational studies were considered eligible if they included patients with an implanted mesh, performed static MRI, and reported mesh features, visibility, or provided information on its segmentation in groin hernia or POP patients. Results were narratively synthesized, and the quality of studies was assessed via the appropriate JBI tool. RESULTS: Of 3,090 retrieved articles, 18 original studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria. Mesh for groin hernia was assessed in eight studies (796 groins in 592 patients) and mesh for POP in 10 studies (300 patients). Conventional meshes were used in seven studies, in which the mesh recognition rate by the reader ranged from 68.1% to 100%. Eleven studies assessed iron-loaded meshes with 100% visibility. Five studies reported results on mesh segmentation in iron-loaded meshes and successfully delineated its contours. CONCLUSION: MRI enables visualization of surgical meshes in the lower abdomen, particularly iron-loaded meshes, which provide more consistent visualization than conventional meshes. However, because conventional meshes remain the most widely used and are often less visible on MRI, standardized imaging protocols and prospective validation studies are warranted to improve mesh assessment.