CHOLECYSTECTOMY AND HERNIOPLASTY DURING THE SAME LAPAROSCOPIC PROCEDURE

Cholelithiasis and inguinal or femoral hernia usually coexist in the s ame patient. The simultaneous laparoscopic approach to these diseases benefits the patients, who avoid two separate admissions to the hospit al, two operations, and twice the cost, recuperation, and potential mo rbidity and mortality. The authors describe a technique that facilitat es cholecystectomy and hernioplasty during the same laparoscopic appro ach, thus avoiding the use of two separate procedures. The results of this procedure in the first six patients were excellent.