2-YEAR RESULTS OF LAPAROSCOPIC HERNIOPLAS TIES USING AN INTRAPERITONEAL EPTFE PATCH - A PROSPECTIVE MULTICENTRIC STUDY OF 184 CASES

Two hundred and four groin hernias in 173 patients were laparoscopical y treated using an intraperitoneal ePTFE parch and prospectively studi ed. Two patients died for diseases unrelated to their hernia nor their hernioplasty. Eight patients were lost to follow up (5,2%), 163 were followed up for at least 1 year, without recurrence at their last exam ination, and 155 were followed up for at least 2 years. This study con cerns these 155 patients accounting for 184 hernioplasties. Twelve rec urrences (6,5%) were found in 11 patients, 10 of 12 occured within the first year after operation. After each surgeon's 20th hernioplasty th e recurrence rate was 3 of 113 hernioplasties (2,6 %) (p < 0,05). Late local pain around the patch and its staples was found in 12 patients, slight in 10 cases, mild in 1 case and serious in 1 case. Local hypoe sthesia of the upper internal part of the thigh was found in one patie nt. Not any testicular atrophy, nor intraperitoneal complications were observed. This study suggests that: 1) the 2-year recurrence rate of intraperitoneal ePTFE hernioplasties is not very different, after the learning phase, from those of many other procedures; 2) their expensiv e price lead to use these techniques only when other efficient procedu res are not feasible, for example in the challenged treatment of recur rent hernia after failure of a preperitoneal prosthetic hernioplasty.