LAPAROSCOPIC INGUINAL-HERNIA REPAIR BY AN INTRAPERITONEAL ONLAY MESH TECHNIQUE USING EXPANDED PTFE - A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY

This prospective trial was initiated to assess laparoscopic inguinal h ernia repairs by an intraabdominal intraperitoneal onlay mesh (IPOM) t echnique. An IPOM method utilizing 10 x 7.5-cm expanded polytef (PTFE) patches was used to repair 52 inguinal hernias in 50 patients. Then w ere two patients with bilateral defects. Fourteen were direct and 38 w ere indirect hernias. There was one patient with bladder perforation, one with strangulation of the small bowel that entered the sac of a re current defect, and five patients with other minor complications. Ther e were two recurrences. The follow-up period ranged from 5 to 31 month s. The operating time ranged from 35 to 180 min and was 35-60 min in 4 0 patients. The postoperative pain was minimal in 40 patients. Our con clusions are as follows: This IPOM method was less time consuming in t heater time than other laparoscopic methods. There was minimal postope rative pain in the majority of cases. The hospital stay was shorter in comparison with the standardized stay for conventional methods. The c ase with recurrence and strangulation raises some questions as to the safety of this method. Hospital costs of conventional herniorrhaphies were lower (63%) than those of this laparoscopic method.