Management of groin hernias by laparoscopy

The surgical treatment of groin hernias continues to undergo technical modifications. The introduction of minimally invasive surgery had added a possible new dimension, replacing an inguinal approach by laparoscopy. Conceived some 15 years ago, the thesis was subjected to a clinical trial where coincidental abdominal hernial openings were closed at laparotomy. This study was followed by an experimental study at which time the openings were closed laparoscopically. The satisfactory results led to the development of a stapling instrument that could be passed through a cannula at laparoscopy and used to close the abdominal hernial opening. The clinical trial of treating hernias by laparoscopy was originally directed to the management of indirect inguinal hernias, but its use has since been expanded to include treatment of direct, femoral, obturator, incarcerated, recurrent, and bilateral hernias. The laparoscopic anatomy of the inguinal hernia, different from that seen by an inguinal approach, is briefly reviewed. The details of the operative technique are presented, as are the bases of other laparoscopic techniques that have evolved. Thirty-one hernial orifices have been closed and followed over 18 months. The results appear to be satisfactory in 27 instances. There were early technical failures in 2: One patient developed a recurrence after 5 months, later shown to be due to a sliding hernia; and symptoms of meralgia paresthetica of indeterminate origin appeared in one case. The advantages over the traditional approach are described; the disadvantages of the laparoscopic approach are those of laparoscopy itself and the absence of a long-term follow-up.