With improved laparoscopic equipment, other operations have become feasible, including colon resection, appendectomy, and cancer staging. One of the newest applications of laparoscopic surgery is repair of hernias, a defect in the muscles of the abdominal wall which allows abdominal contents to protrude. Inguinal, or groin hernias, are by far the most common type. They affect over 500,000 people per year, the vast majority occurring in men. Most of these are determined at birth, when the internal opening through which the spermatic cord passes fails to dose.
Hernias require repair when they cause discomfort or pain.
Equally important is preventing entrapment of intestines in the muscle defect. With traditional surgical techniques, the muscle layers are sutured together to dose the defect. In recent years, many surgeons have adopted the use of a reinforcing screen called Marlex to cover the hernia defect. The mesh becomes incorporated in the muscle wall, creating a strong secure barrier. Laparoscopic hernia repair uses many of the same principles as the tension-free mesh repair, but the surgery is performed from inside the abdominal cavity, instead of through an open incision.