The transabdominal pre-peritoneal (TAPP) inguinal hernia repair: a trip along the learning curve.

Laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair is a new but accepted method of treatment for this common condition. It has several distinct advantages over traditional open types of repair but also has the potential for complications not found with open repair. We have performed over 1700 laparoscopic repairs in our unit and modified the technique over the last 5 years whilst auditing our results. We present a description of the technique and describe the common complications we have experienced and the methods we have employed to reduce these complications.