Outcomes analysis for groin hernia repairs

Outcomes studies after inguinal hernia operations show a pattern of continued improvement throughout the last decade. Open hernia repair (OHR) is intrinsically less costly and less complicated to perform than laparoscopic hernia repair (LHR). The most recent modification in OHR has been the improvement of the mesh prostheses for insertion into the preperitoneal space. The earlier return to work seen in the early 1990s with LHR has been offset by comparable recuperation in the late 1990s associated with improvements in prosthetic repair in OHR. Both behavioral and technical factors must be evaluated to improve outcomes with hernia surgery.