Laparoscopic hernia repair in 2000 - Update of the European Association for Endoscopic Surgery (EAES) consensus conference in Madrid, June 1994

The 1994 meeting of the European Association for Endoscopic Surgery (E.A.E. S.) in Madrid highlighted a consensus-developing conference on the then new laparoscopic procedure for hernia repair. The conference was chaired by A. Paul from Cologne, Germany, and A. Finger-hut, from Poissy, France. The ot her members of the jury were B. Millat (France), L. Nyhus (USA), J. Himpens (Belgium), J.-L. Dulucq (France), V. Schumpelick (Germany), E. Laporte Ros ello (Spain), C. Klaiber (Switzerland), J. Mouiel (France), P. Go (Netherla nds), and J.-H. Alexandre (France). At that time, there were, in all, only three randomized trials available for analysis. Today, there are more than 60 trials and more than 12,500 patients have been entered into them. An upd ate, presented this year in Vienna, is summarized herein.