Laparoscopic repair of inguinal hernias using a totally extraperitoneal prosthetic approach.

This report describes a laparoscopic procedure for prosthetic repair of inguinal hernias using an extraperitoneal approach. A total of 51 primary direct and indirect hernias were repaired in this series, including 11 recurrent and 12 bilateral hernias. Operative time for this laparoscopic procedure was similar to that of the comparable open surgery and no unusual complications were noted. All patients were discharged the day following surgery and returned to work within 7 days.