Inguinal hernia repair is surgery to repair a hernia in the abdominal wall of your groin. A hernia is tissue that bulges out of a weak spot in the abdominal wall. Your intestines may bulge out through this weakened area.
During hernia repair, this bulging tissue is pushed back in. Your abdominal wall is strengthened and supported with sutures (stitches), and sometimes mesh.
Laparoscopic hernia repair is an advantage for patients who have hernias on both sides or recurrent hernia after previous open or laparoscopic repair. It entails three small incisions through which both sides can be repaired.
In the surgical literature, laparoscopic repair carries slightly higher recurrence rate as opposed to open, if mesh is used in both. At GBMC, to lower this recurrence rate, technical maneuvers are carried out to repair the defect first, in addition to using mesh plugs with large mesh patches on top. Patient selection is also important, as large inguino-scrotal hernias (hernias extending to male privates) are best repaired in a traditional open maneuver.