Laparoscopic bilateral inguinal hernia repair: Should it be the preferred technique?

Abstract

Inguinal hernias are amongst the most common conditions requiring general surgical intervention. For decades, the preferred approach was the open repair. As laparoscopy became more popular and available and more surgeons became familiarized with this modality, laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair became an alternative. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of laparoscopic inguinal repair, with a focus on bilateral inguinal hernias. Initial reports have shown promising clinical outcomes compared to those of conventional repair of bilateral hernias. However, there are only a few studies concerning laparoscopic repair of bilateral hernias. It is yet to be proven that laparoscopy is the “gold standard” in the treatment of bilateral inguinal hernias. So far, the choice of an inguinal hernia repair technique has been up to each surgeon, depending on their expertise and available resources after taking into consideration each patient’s needs.

Keywords: Bilateral inguinal hernia; Laparoscopic repair; Open repair: Gold standard; Chronic pain; Recurrence

Core Tip: Laparoscopic repair of bilateral inguinal hernias has become a common procedure over the past few years. It is associated with less pain and faster return to daily life compared to the open repair. As yet, there is little evidence to sufficiently support that it should be the preferred technique, as it depends on each surgeon to choose the repair technique that they will use.