[The ONSTEP inguinal hernia repair technique].

The ONSTEP (Open New Simplified Totally Extraperitoneal) inguinal/femoral hernia repair technique is an innovative procedure presented by Portuguese surgeons Augusto Lourenço and Rui Soares da Costa within the EHS/AHS Congress in March 2012. The first institutions to perform this kind of hernia surgery in the Czech Republic are the Department of Surgery at Prostejov Hospital and the Department of Surgery at Frydlant Hospital. The ONSTEP technique represents a minimally traumatizing frontal approach to inguinal hernia repair using a special self-expanding mesh patch (an oval, anatomically-shaped moderate-pore polypropylene mesh with the circumferential memory-ring consisting of polyethylene terephthalate). The main advantages of this method are: short duration of surgery, the possibility of performing the procedure under local anaesthesia, short recovery time and rapid return to daily activities, low incidence of chronic post-operative groin pain, low recurrence rate, short hospital stay, good cosmetic effect and a low price. It is suitable for institutions performing outpatient surgery.