title: Inguinal hernia recurrence: classification and approach.
abstract: We reviewed case reports, updated to January 2005, of 2,468 operations for groin hernia in 2,350 patients, including 277 recurrent hernias. The data obtained, following a simple anatomo-clinical classification into three types that could be used to orient surgical strategy, were: type R1--first recurrence of "high" oblique external reducible hernia with small (<2 cm) defect in non-obese patients after pure tissue or mesh repair; type R2--first recurrence of "low" direct reducible hernia with small (<2 cm) defect in non-obese patients after pure tissue or mesh repair; and type R3--all other recurrences, including femoral recurrences, recurrent groin hernia with large defect (inguinal eventration), multi-recurrent hernias, non-reducible contralateral primary or recurrent hernia, and situations compromised by aggravating factors (e.g. obesity) or otherwise not easily included in R1 or R2 after pure tissue or mesh repair.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Sciences, Policlinico Hospital I.R.C.C.S., University of Milano, Milano, Italy. giampiero.campanelli@unimi.it
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Campanelli
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pettinari
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Nicolosi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cavalli
authors.forename: E Contessini
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Avesani
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000145:classification* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence