The inguinofemoral area from a laparoscopic standpoint - History, anatomy,and surgical applications

Laparoscopic procedures for hernia repair provide new interest in the anato my of the posterior aspect of the abdominal wall. Anatomists and laparoscop ists recently have published articles on the surgical anatomy of the inguin al region that they call the laparoscopic inguinal anatomy. This anatomy is not new; the authors have found drawings of this posterior aspect of the a bdominal wall in anatomy textbooks and in surgical publications as early as 1887. This article describes the anatomic structures of the inguinofemoral area as it may be seen from behind in laparoscopic procedures, and emphasi zes the new anatomic dangers that can arise from this posterior laparoscopi c approach, even if the anatomic structures are well known.