The treatment of Spigelian hernia with the Prolene Hernia System: notes on techniques

Spigelian hernia repair techniques use prostheses both in the traditional and the videolaparoscopic approach; only in selected cases direct suturing of the parietal defect is performed. The aim of this study is to describe a technique that uses a device proposed specifically for inguinal hernias, but which has not yet been described in the literature, namely the Prolene Hernia System (P.H.S.). Our personal experience consists of 7 cases (5 females and 2 males; mean age: 58 years) operated on from January 2002 to May 2003. Four patients were operated on in the ordinary hospitalisation regime with selective spinal anaesthesia and three patients were treated in the day surgery setting with local anaesthesia. With this technique, the underlay patch is positioned in an adequately prepared preperitoneal space and the onlay patch above the internal oblique muscle, while the connector acts as a plug positioned in the parietal defect. The method has proved simple, safe, and fast. It causes minimal discomfort to the patient in terms of postoperative pain and allows rapid rehabilitation. Moreover, it can also be performed in the day surgery setting. The authors conclude that the P.H.S. Spigelian hernia repair technique is a valid alternative to any of the other methods used to date.