title: Laparoscopic repair of recurrent childhood inguinal hernias after open herniotomy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Open repair of recurrent paediatric inguinal hernias (IH) is difficult and there is definite risk of damaging the vas deferens and testicular vessels during dissection of the previous open herniotomy field. Laparoscopic repair (LR) has the benefit of avoiding the previous operative site.
  
  
  METHODS
  Records of patients with recurrent IH that had LR after open repair were reviewed and evaluated retrospectively. The results were compared with data from cases in which the LR method was used in the initial IH repair.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From September 2002 to October 2005, four boys and one girl (mean age 58.8 months) were treated in our institution for recurrent IH after open repair. Operative time, success rate and complications did not show any statistically significant difference when compared with our previous prospectively collected data for primary repairs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopic repair is the preferred operation for recurrent childhood IH after open repair.
authors.affiliation: Division of Paediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Hong Kong Medical Centre, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China. klchan@hkucc.hku.hk
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013536:Suture Techniques; D016896:Treatment Outcome