Inguinal hernia: open surgical repair using mesh.

Inguinal hernia repair is one of the most commonly performed procedures in general surgery. With the introduction of mesh, tissue herniorrhaphy was largely supplanted and open-mesh repair emerged as the gold standard. Innovation in biotechnology and surgical technique has resulted in the development of several varieties of mesh, as well as different approaches to mesh inguinal herniorrhaphy. Prior to performing open-mesh inguinal herniorrhaphy, the well-informed surgeon must be comfortable selecting the surgical option that is best suited for the clinical scenario and the surgeon's expertise.