Equal results with laparoscopic and Shouldice repairs of primary inguinal hernia in men. Report from a prospective randomised study

Abstract

Aim: To compare the laparoscopic and Shouldice techniques for repair of inguinal hernia. Material: 261 healthy men over 50 years with primary, unilateral inguinal hernia were randomly allocated to laparoscopic (total extraperitoneal approach, TEP) treatment (n = 131) or to a modified Shouldice technique (n = 130). Results: Apart from a longer operative time in the laparoscopic group, there were no significant differences between the two methods with regard to perioperative complications, hospital stay, recurrencies or pain in the groin. Conclusions: Results following the total extraperitoneal laparoscopic and the Shouldice technique do not differ significantly 2 years after hernia repair.