ABSTRACT
The surgical approach to inguinal hernia repair has undergone a slow evolution since Bassini introduced the first true anatomical repair over 100 years ago.1 Initially, surgeons were fixated on tissue to tissue repairs. Then, Lichtenstein and coworkers2 and Stoppa and colleagues3
demonstrated that tension-free reinforcement of the abdominal wall with mesh eliminates one of the major causes of recurrence, the intrinsic or acquired weakness of the groin; the emphasis of hernia repair then switched dramatically. Ten years later, laparoscopic surgeons took the tension-free repair one step further by introducing a repair that reinforced the groin, avoided missed hernias, and reduced postoperative recovery.
