Occult hernias detected by laparoscopic totally extra-peritoneal inguinal hernia repair: a prospective study

One distinct advantage of laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair is the opportunity for clear visualization of the direct, indirect, femoral, obturator and other groin spaces. The aim of this study was to examine/assess the potential of the laparoscopic totally extraperitoneal (TEP) inguinal hernia repair method in detecting unexpected additional hernias.

Patients who underwent an elective inguinal hernia repair, in the department of abdominal surgery at the institute of laparoscopic surgery (ILS, Bordeaux, France) between September 2003 and July 2005 were enrolled prospectively in the study. The patients' demographic data, operative, postoperative course and outpatient follow-up were studied.

A total of 337 laparoscopic inguinal hernia repairs were performed in 263 patients. Of these, 189 patients had unilateral hernia (109 right and 80 left) and 74 patients had bilateral hernias. Indirect hernias were the most common, followed by direct and then femoral hernias. There were 218 male patients and 45 female patients with a mean age of 60 ± 15 years. There were 44 unexpected hernias: 6 spegilian hernias, 19 obturator hernias and another 19 femoral hernias. Two patients were converted to transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) due to surgical difficulties. There were no major intraoperative complications in all patients except for three cases of bleeding arising from the inferior epigastric artery. Only one patient had postoperative bleeding and was re-operated on several hours after the hernia repair. No recurrence occurred in the present series.

The laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair approach allows viewing of the entire myopectineal orifice, facilitating repair of any unexpected hernias and thereby reducing the chance of recurrence.