Preperitoneal herniorrhaphy. Adjunct to prostatic surgery.

The preperitoneal approach to inguinal hernia repair can easily be applied at the time of open prostatectomy. Our experience with this procedure is reported, and the surgical technique is described. A preperitoneal herniorrhaphy is easy to perform through the same incision as the prostatectomy, avoids opening new surgical spaces, adds little to the operating time, and saves the patient another surgical procedure. Good results have been achieved in that we have had only 3 recurrences in 38 hernias reparied by the preperitoneal approach.