Does the Mesh Have to be Fixed in Laparoscopic eTEP Repair of Bilateral Inguinal Hernia?

Overview

Inguinal hernia surgery is one of the most frequently performed procedures among general surgery cases. As with many open surgical methods, this repair is also performed laparoscopically. Among these closed methods, the one method is laparoscopic extended total extraperitoneal repair (eTEP). The benefits of laparoscope include less postoperative pain and complications, faster recovery, reduced chronic pain, and recurrence rate. One of the recent debates regarding the laparoscopic technique is mesh fixation. Fixation of the mesh to the cooper ligament can prevent mesh migration and consequently reduce the recurrence rate. However, it has been reported that this fixation may increase postoperative pain. Several studies have reported that recurrence may be due to inadequate mesh fixation technique. In contrast, other prospective randomized studies have found relapse unrelated to mesh fixation. There are studies in the literature on mesh fixation related to the total extraperitoneal repair (TEP) technique. These studies are generally planned for unilateral hernias. It is a controversial issue among surgeons that the possibility of mesh migration is higher in bilateral hernias since there is a larger dissection area. This discussion is the starting point of this study. There were no studies in the literature regarding mesh fixation in bilateral inguinal hernias. The aim of this study is to compare bilateral inguinal hernia patients with and without mesh fixation in the eTEP technique in terms of both mesh migration and clinical features.

Conditions