Relaparoscopic treatment of recurrences after previous laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair

Background. Relaparoscopic treatment of inguinal hernia recurrences has become a relatively new concept with favourable results. The purpose of this study was to examine a series of relaparoscopic repair, present technical experiences, and the clinical outcomes in this subset of patients. Patients and Methods. The medical records of five patients who underwent relaparoscopic repair (TAPP or TEP) for a recurrence between March 2005 and September 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. Results. All the patients were male with a mean age of 45 years. Technical failures in the previous repairs were the main factors contributing to recurrences. In two re-TEP cases with no previous mesh fixation, the old mesh remained on the peritoneal side during preperitoneal dissection and this greatly facilitated surgical manipulation. The mean operative time was 93 min (range, 45-120 min). There were no conversions, no intraoperative complications, and no morbidity or rerecurrence after a mean follow-up period of 17 months (range, 7-24 months). Conclusion. Relaparoscopic repair appears to be safe and effective in the treatment of recurrent inguinal hernia and repeated TEP could be a simpler approach than expected in the presence of no prior mesh fixation.