Experience of Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernioplasty

Postoperative groin pain caused by approximation of the fascia and recurrence remain troublesome problems in conventional hernia repair performed by anterior or posterior floor repair of the inguinal canal. Twenty five patients underwent laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair. Seventeen patients underwent conventional hernia repair, mainly McVay's repair, and the postoperative results of two groups were compared. In the laparoscopic operation, the peritoneum was opened. Polypropylene mesh was spread to cover three hernia sites, direct, indirect inguinal and femoral hernia, then mesh was anchored to Cooper's ligament, the inguinal ligament and transversalis fascia in the preperitoneal position. The longest follow-up period was thirteen months. No recurrence was observed in either group. Postoperative pain was minimal in laparoscopic repair, and all patients could walk on the first postoperative day. Three patients of recurrent hernia complained of lesser pain than after the previous operation. Twenty of 25 laparoscopic patients (80%) could be discharged within 9 days, whereas nobody in the conventional repair group could be discharged within 10 days. These results demonstrated that laparoscopic hernioplasty was safe and a less invasive operation.