Abstract:

Surgical repair of inguinal hernia is among the oldest and most common operations performed by general surgeons. Currently, 700,000 procedures are performed annually in the United States. Regardless of the large volume of hernia surgery which is performed, the results arc less than ideal. It is estimated that the recurrence rate of primary hernia repair remains at 10% to 15% with a higher rate following repair of recurrent hernia. Equally important, there is frequently a long period of disability and discomfort. Many surgeons still advise their patients to refrain from work, exercise, and heavy lifting for periods of 3 to 8 weeks. While it is common in the United States for hernia surgery to be performed on an ambulatory basis, it is still not unusual that patients are hospitalized for several days to a week in other parts of the world. It is readily apparent that unnecessary days spent in hospital add a great burden to every country's healthcare expenditures.

Authors:

Alan W. Robbins, M.D., F.A.C.S., Ira M. Rutkow, M.D., The Hernia Center, Freehold, NJ

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