The Lichtenstein repair for groin hernias

The Lichtenstein tension-free mesh repair opened a new era in groin hernia repair. In terms of recurrence rates, patient-centered outcomes, and cost, it has become the gold standard of groin hernia repair. A brief history of prosthetic mesh repair and the evolution of the Lichtenstein technique are reviewed in this article. The operative technique as used at the British Hernia Centre is outlined, and the results of using this repair for all primary inguinal hernias in a specialized ambulatory day care setting are presented. We review the current literature on open mesh repair of inguinal hernia and compare it with the results obtained with laparoscopic repairs.