Inguinal Hernia

Approximately 700,000 inguinal hernia repairs are performed in the United States annually, making it one of the most commonly performed operations in surgical practice. The anatomy of the inguinal region is quite complex, and a thorough understanding of this region is required to successfully and safely repair these defects. The science of inguinal hernia repair continues to evolve and over the past several years has expanded to include laparoscopic and robotic approaches, as well as time-honored open repairs that still play an essential role in treating this disease process. The following review describes the relevant anatomy, types of groin hernias, the role of different hernia prostheses and meshes, common and evolving repair techniques, and the common complications encountered in hernia surgery, including chronic groin pain after inguinal hernia repair.  The review contains 19 figures, 15 tables, and 50 references. Keywords: Inguinal hernia, femoral hernia, transabdominal preperitoneal repair, total extraperitoneal repair, laparoscopy, Bassini repair, Lichtenstein repair