Sliding indirect inguinal hernia.

From 2 per cent to 5 per cent of all indirect inguinal hernias are of the sliding variety. (Sliding hernias are those in which part of the wall of the sac is formed by a viscus.) The proportion of sliding hernias is even higher in the aged. Hernias of this kind are found almost exclusively in males and usually on the left side. Preoperative diagnosis is not essential if the surgeon can recognize the lesion at operation and knows how to repair it properly. The LaRoque technique in which the peritoneal cavity is entered above the internal ring allows accurate definition of the pathological anatomy and effective repair of the hernia. It should be used in all true sliding indirect inguinal hernias.