Extraperitoneal endoscopic inguinal hernia repair.

The endoscopic extraperitoneal hernioplasty as reported in this study is a similar repair to that achieved by the conventional preperitoneal repair as described by Stoffa, Nyhus, and Rignault. However, this new repair is completed via a totally extraperitoneal approach. Thus, it eliminates all early and late complications related to the violation of the peritoneal cavity as proposed by other intraperitoneal laparoscopic approaches to hernia repair. This report demonstrates the safety and feasibility of this procedure while offering the patient the advantages of a minimally invasive surgical procedure which can be performed under regional anesthesia.