title: Primary lumbar hernia repair: the open approach.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lumbar hernias arise through posterolateral abdominal wall defects, named inferior triangle (Petit) and superior triangle (Grynfelt). Most of the lumbar hernias are secondary to trauma or previous surgery, while primary lumbar hernias are rare. There are two possible surgical approaches: the anterior approach with lumbar incision and the laparoscopic (transabdominal or totally extraperitoneal) approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  We present a series of nine surgical procedures for primary lumbar hernia in 7 adult patients (2 affected by bilateral hernias). Seven were Grynfelt hernias, and two were Petit hernias. All surgical repairs were performed using synthetic mesh placed in the extraperitoneal space, below the muscular layers, using a tension-free technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no surgical complication, except for 1 case with a subcutaneous haematoma. The mean hospital stay was 2.3 days. All patients returned to normal daily activities within 15 days after surgery. After a median follow-up period of 25 months, there was no case of recurrence or postsurgical sequelae, such as pain or muscular weakness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Primary lumbar hernias are rare congenital defects of the abdominal wall. Repair of these rare hernias can be successfully performed via the anterior approach with the use of synthetic mesh - this method of repair is easy, safe, and effective.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery P. Valdoni, Policlinico Umberto I, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy. giuseppe.cavallaro@uniromal.it
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cavallaro
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sadighi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miceli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Burza
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carbone
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cavallaro
mesh_terms: D034861:Abdominal Wall / Q000601:surgery*; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D046449:Hernia, Abdominal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008161:Lumbosacral Region / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013526:Surgical Mesh; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome