Laparoscopic preperitoneal mesh repair or tension-free mesh plug technique? A prospective study of 471 patients with 543 inguinal hernias.

Objective: To compare two modem mesh-based "tension free" hernioplasties, laparoscopic repair and mesh plug technique.

Design: Prospective, non-randomised study.

Setting: Two major medical centres, Greece.

Subjects: 471 patients with 543 inguinal hernias.

Intervention: Patients entering the study were treated in two major medical centres either by laparoscopic repair under general anaesthesia (n = 237) in hospital A, or by insertion of a mesh plug under monitored local, epidural, or spinal anaesthesia (n = 234) in hospital B. Patients with known bilateral inguinal hernias, femoral hernias, and those with both inguinal hernias and cholelithiasis were encouraged to undergo laparoscopic repair.

Main outcome measures: Operative time, hospital mortality, morbidity and length of stay, costs, time to return to work, and recurrence rate.

Results: The median operative time for laparoscopic repair was significantly longer (57 compared with 33 minutes, p < 0.001). Laparoscopic repair was more costly (1,200 US dollars compared with 500), and technically more demanding than insertion of a mesh plug. The median postoperative hospital stay, consumption of narcotic analgesics, and return to full work and heavy activities were similar in the two groups, whereas light activities were started earlier after plug repair [5.4 (2.4) compared with 3.4 (1.5) hours, p < 0.0001]. There were 6 recurrences in the laparoscopic group and 1 in the plug group.

Conclusions: Mesh plug insertion is faster, cheaper, technically easier, does not require general anaesthesia, and is suitable to be done by surgeons as part of their general practice without special instruments and by junior surgeons. Plug repair resulted in fewer short or long term complications and reduced the recurrence rate.