[Hernia repair--which technique? Help in making the decision]

Operation of the inguinal hernia is the most common operation in general surgery. Many criteria influence the kind of operation the surgeon will perform. Detailed anatomic knowledge of the inguinal region, standardised tactical and technical performance of the operation team, careful preparation and a minimum of blood loss reduce complications to low levels. These items are the same for all operation methods. The Shouldice procedure has been the golden standard for many years, nowadays (1998) in America in more than 80% of operations a mesh is implanted in the abdominal wall. A Cochran review of EBM showed advantages for mesh repair compared to nonmesh repair. Patient oriented decision making in choosing a method for inguinal hernia repair should be the new standard of modern general surgery.