ABSTRACT
French surgeon, Rene Stoppa from Amiens, also recognised the mechanical advantages of retro-fascial mesh and pioneered its use in the extraperitoneal plane for the repair of complex inguinal hernias. The Rives-Stoppa retro-rectus repair is the most popular technique for reconstructing ventral hernia defects because of its reliability and excellent outcomes in relation to the alternatives and is rightly regarded as the ‘workhorse’ of abdominal wall reconstruction. The Rives-Stoppa technique can easily be modified for non-midline incisions by paying attention to the anatomic layers and remembering that the neurovascular bundles in the abdominal wall run between internal oblique and transversus abdominis, making it the plane to avoid. The peritoneal flap hernioplasty is a useful technique for moderate-sized hernias but must be chosen as the technique ahead of surgery as once the hernial sac has been stripped off the fascia it cannot be used.
