Abstract
Traditional methods for treating adult groin hernia are accompanied by postoperative pain and the risk of recurrence for laceration due to sutures of the fascia. Tension-free hernioplasty techniques have been recently proposed. Laparoscopic hernioplasty is ideal for the tension-free method, but it requires special laparoscopic techniques and items. In addition, high cost and general anesthesia are overloaded to patients. We treated 24 patients using mesh-plug hernioplasty, a new tension-free method from June 1997 to June 1999. In this method, a plug constructed by a polypropylene mesh (Marlex®) is inserted into the fascial defect and the posterior wall of the inguinal canal is covered with an onlay patch under epidural or spinal anesthesia. Comfort, rapid rehabilitation, lower cost, and diminished complications are the benefits of the mesh-plug procedure. Mesh-plug hernioplasty is available for ambulatory surgery, and will be recommended for ordinary surgery of groin hernias.
