Evaluation of staples and prostheses for use in laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair.

With the increasing popularity of laparoscopic prosthetic inguinal hernia repair, it was decided to compare the various staples and prostheses currently in use. A twofold increase in breaking or opening strength was required to disrupt the Endoscopic Multifeed Staple (31.2 Newtons vs 15.6 Newtons) compared with the Multifire Endo Hernia Staple. A linear relationship existed between the number of staples used and the maximum load tolerated. No significant difference was found between the breaking strength of the prostheses evaluated. Further research into the biomechanics of laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair is necessary to determine how important staple and prosthesis strength is for the success of the repair.