Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2021. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Methodol. Jul 20, 2021; 11(4): 160-186
Published online Jul 20, 2021. doi: 10.5662/wjm.v11.i4.160
Fascinating history of groin hernias: Comprehensive recognition of anatomy, classic considerations for herniorrhaphy, and current controversies in hernioplasty
Tomohide Hori, Daiki Yasukawa
Tomohide Hori, Department of Surgery, Shiga General Hospital, Moriyama 524-8524, Shiga, Japan
Daiki Yasukawa, Department of Surgery, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu 520-2192, Japan
Author contributions: Hori T and Yasukawa D wrote this review; historical turning points was investigated by Hori T; Yasukawa D originally drew all illustrations and schemas; Hori T and Yasukawa D assessed important papers; Hori T supervised this review; Hori T and Yasukawa D contributed equally to this work.
Conflict-of-interest statement: None of the authors has a potential conflict of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Tomohide Hori, FACS, MD, PhD, Academic Fellow, Attending Doctor, Director, Surgeon, Department of Surgery, Shiga General Hospital, 5-4-30 Moriyama, Moriyama 524-8524, Shiga, Japan. horitomo55office@yahoo.co.jp
Received: March 13, 2021
Peer-review started: March 13, 2021
First decision: March 31, 2021
Revised: April 2, 2021
Accepted: May 15, 2021
Article in press: May 15, 2021
Published online: July 20, 2021
Processing time: 127 Days and 15.2 Hours
Abstract

Groin hernias include indirect inguinal, direct inguinal, femoral, obturator, and supravesical hernias. Here, we summarize historical turning points, anatomical recognition and surgical repairs. Groin hernias have a fascinating history in the fields of anatomy and surgery. The concept of tension-free repair is generally accepted among clinicians. Surgical repair with mesh is categorized as hernioplasty, while classic repair without mesh is considered herniorrhaphy. Although various surgical approaches have been developed, the surgical technique should be carefully chosen for each patient. Regarding as interesting history, crucial anatomy and important surgeries in the field of groin hernia, we here summarized them in detail, respectively. Points of debate are also reviewed; important points are shown using illustrations and schemas. We hope this systematic review is surgical guide for general surgeons including residents. Both a skillful technique and anatomical knowledge are indispensable for successful hernia surgery in the groin.

Keywords: Inguinal hernia; Groin; History; Anatomy; Hernioplasty; Herniorrhaphy

Core Tip: Groin hernias include indirect inguinal, direct inguinal, femoral, obturator, and supravesical hernias. Groin hernias have a fascinating history in the fields of anatomy and surgery, and the concept of tension-free repair is generally accepted among clinicians. Although various surgical approaches have been developed, the surgical technique should be carefully chosen for each patient. Surgical repair with mesh is categorized as hernioplasty, while classic repair without mesh is considered herniorrhaphy. Points of debate are also reviewed; important points are shown using illustrations and schemas. Overall, both a skillful technique and anatomical knowledge are indispensable for successful hernia surgery in the groin.