Combined retropubic prostatectomy and preperitoneal inguinal herniorrhaphy.

Inguinal hernia and an enlarged prostate causing urinary obstruction are 2 disorders with a higher frequency among elderly patients. The anatomical proximity of an inguinal hernia to the enlarged prostate raises the possibility of joint, concurrent surgical treatment of both disorders. We report on the successful preperitoneal repair via a Pfannenstiel incision of 131 inguinal hernias in 97 patients who had undergone retropubic prostatectomy owing to benign enlargement of the prostate. Followup averaged 7 years and included 91 patients with 122 direct and indirect, unilateral or bilateral hernias. Summation of our results shows a low recurrence rate (4.9 per cent) and no complications in the wake of the combined operation. In our opinion prostatectomy combined concurrently with inguinal hernia repair via a preperitoneal retropubic approach should be applied routinely in urological practice.