THE LICHTENSTEIN OPEN TENSION-FREE INGUINAL-HERNIA REPAIR USING A NEWPROSTHEFIC MESH BULGARIAN IRRESORBABLE AMPOXEN

The routine use of mesh for repair of inguinal hernia has been popular ized by Lichtenstein and coworkers, We adopted this technique and perf ormed it widely using a mesh unknown in the Western world, Ampoxen [mu ltifilamented polycaproamide, impregnated with 5-Nitro-8-Hydroxyquinol inum (Nitroxolinum, DCI), MEDICA, SA, Sandanski, Bulgaria] was discove red in 1975 and proved to be an excellent prosthetic material for repl acement of attenuated or destroyed abdominal wall; furthermore, this m esh is very cheap and became widely applicable in our country, This re port describes our experience with the first 846 adult inguinal hernia repairs under local anesthesia using Ampoxen, All 846 patients had ex cellent results, without recurrence, There were nine wound infections (1.1%), 16 testicular oedemas (1.9%), no seromata and no deaths, In no patient was the prosthetic mesh removed. There were no complications related to the use of Ampoxen; this mesh is permanent, has a great deg ree of fibrous tissue reaction, and wide spectrum antimicrobic activit y, We advocate the Lichtenstein technique using irresorbable mesh (par ticularly Ampoxen) for all adult groin hernias except Types 1 and 2 (a ccording to Nyhus' classification), and for all adult recurrent groin hernias.