Complications of open groin hernia repairs

Inguinal hernia repair is a common surgical operation, with some 750,000 performed annually in the United States alone. There has recently been a great push towards increasing the number of ambulatory procedures to improve socioeconomic cost effectiveness. Open-mesh repairs are now standard and our goals should now be to further minimize complications, including wound infection and later recurrence. As recurrence becomes less of a concern, quality-of-life issues such as chronic groin pain after herniorrhaphy are becoming increasingly important. Various mesh designs are now marketed; but does one type fit all groin hernias and can general surgeons obtain results comparable to the specialist hernia surgeon?