Meralgia paraesthetica following laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair. An anatomical analysis.

Entrapment of the lateral cutaneous nerve of the thigh (LCNT) is a recognized complication of laparoscopic hernia repair. In our first 10 patients in a series of 30 laparoscopic herniorrhaphies we encountered two cases of meralgia paraesthetica, leading us to review our surgical technique and analyze the local anatomy in 20 LCNT cadaver dissections. The distances of the LCNT from fixed anatomical points were analyzed and safe margins of mesh placement at laparoscopic herniorrhaphy were defined.