Developments in hernia repair.
Traditionally, inguinal hernia repair uses autogenous tissues (Shouldice, Bassini, Cooper's). While dedicated
hernia clinics have shown low recurrence rates using autogenous tissues, most studies show
recurrence rates in the 5% to 15% range. In addition, these tension producing repairs may lead to a
longer recovery due to increased discomfort. For these reasons, the recent trend in inguinal hernia
surgery has been towards using a mesh-based tensionless repair. There are three main tension-free
approaches using mesh that are presently receiving the majority of attention:
Voeller
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University of Tennessee, Memphis, Tenn.