Laparoscopic herniorrhaphy

There is little doubt that laparoscopic herniorrhaphy has assumed a place in the pantheon of hernia repair. There is also little doubt that further work needs to be done to determine the exact role that laparoscopic hernia repair should play in the surgical armamentarium. Hernias have been surgically treated since the early Greeks. In contrast, laparoscopic hernia repair has a history of only 6 years. Even within that short time, laparoscopic hernia repair techniques have not remained unchanged. This is obviously a technique in evolution, as indicated by the abandonment of early repairs ("plug and mesh" and IPOM) and the gradual gain in pre-eminence of the TEP repair. During the same time frame, surgery itself has evolved into a discipline more concerned with cost-effectiveness, outcomes, and "consumer acceptance." Confluence of these two developments has led to a situation in which traditional concerns regarding surgical procedures (i.e., recurrence rates or complication rates) assume less of a role than cost-effectiveness, learnability, marketability, and medical-legal considerations. No surgeon, whether practicing in a academic setting or a private practice, is exempt from these pressures. Laparoscopic hernia repair therefore seems to fit into a very specialized niche. In our community, the majority of general surgeons are only too happy to not do laparoscopic hernia repairs. On the other hand, in our experience, certain indications do seem to cry out for a laparoscopic approach. At our own center we have found that laparoscopic repairs can indeed be effective, and even cost-effective, under specific circumstances. These include completing a minimal learning curve, utilizing the properitoneal approach, minimizing the use of reusable instruments, using dissecting balloons as a time-saving device, and very specific patient selection criteria. At present these include patients with bilateral inguinal hernias on clinical examination, patients with recurrent unilateral or bilateral hernias, and patients who, because of economic pressures, must return to work within 10 days of surgery. Within these limitations we feel that the laparoscopic approach definitely has a place in repair of inguinal hernias. In the future new techniques, decreased equipment costs, and the ability to use local anesthesia may increase the applicability of laparoscopic herniorrhaphy.