title: Laparoscopic versus open mesh repair for recurrent inguinal hernia: a meta-analysis of outcomes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study was to examine the outcomes of comparisons between laparoscopic and open mesh repairs in the setting of recurrent inguinal hernia.
  
  
  METHODS
  The electronic databases MEDLINE, Embase, Pubmed, and the Cochrane Library were used to search for articles from 1990 to 2008. The present meta-analysis pooled the effects of outcomes of a total of 1,542 patients enrolled into 5 randomized controlled trials and 7 comparative studies, using classic and modern meta-analytic methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significantly fewer cases of hematoma/seroma formation were observed in the laparoscopic group in comparison with the Lichtenstein group (odds ratio, .38; .15-.96; P = .04). A matter of great importance is the higher relative risk of overall recurrence in the transabdominal preperitoneal group compared with the totally extraperitoneal group (relative risk, 3.25; 1.32-7.9; P = .01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopic versus open mesh repair for recurrent inguinal hernia was equivalent in most of the analyzed outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Surgical Department of "A. Fleming" General Hospital, Athens, Greece. gdedemadi@yahoo.gr
authors.forename: Georgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dedemadi
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sgourakis
authors.forename: Arnold
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Radtke
authors.forename: Alexandros
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dounavis
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gockel
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fouzas
authors.forename: Constantine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Karaliotas
authors.forename: Evangelos
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Anagnostou
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D013526:Surgical Mesh; D016896:Treatment Outcome