Femoral hernia. Review of 2,105 repairs in a 17 year period.

A series of 2,105 femoral hernia repairs performed in a 17 year period has been reviewed. Of these, 1,138 were primary and 967 were recurrent. In the majority of the primary repairs (730 in men and 408 in women), a low or subinguinal approach was used. There was often an ipsilateral inguinal hernia, particularly in men, that required a separate simultaneous routine repair. An overall recurrence rate of approximately 2 percent was achieved in the primary group. Of the recurrent repairs, 778 were in men and 189 in women. The subinguinal approach was favored in the majority of these patients also. The rerecurrence rate was approximately 10 percent in men and 7 percent in women. Despite this, the low approach has still often been considered the best. These recurrent repairs are frequently difficult to treat. A strategy for the treatment of the larger and the more difficult recurrent femoral hernias has been suggested herein.