Trends in the utilization of inguinal hernia repair techniques: a population-based study.
BACKGROUND
The use of inguinal hernia repair techniques in the community setting is poorly understood.


METHODS
A retrospective review of all inguinal hernia repairs performed on adult residents of Olmsted County, MN, from 1989 to 2008 was performed through the Rochester Epidemiology Project.


RESULTS
A total of 4,433 inguinal hernia repairs among 3,489 individuals were reviewed. Non-mesh-based repairs predominated in the late 1980s (94% in 1989), declined throughout the 1990s (40% in 1996), and are rarely used nowadays (4% in 2008). Open mesh-based repairs comprised 21% in 1990, peaked in 2001 with 72%, and declined to 55% in 2008. The adoption of laparoscopic repairs began in 1992 (6%) and has increased steadily to 41% in 2008 (P < .001).


CONCLUSIONS
Although non-mesh-based repairs, once the predominant method, have been supplanted by open mesh-based techniques, nowadays the use of laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair techniques has increased substantially to nearly equal that of open mesh-based techniques.
Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
Benjamin
B
Zendejas
Tatiana
T
Ramirez
Trahern
T
Jones
Admire
A
Kuchena
Jaime
J
Martinez
Shahzad M
SM
Ali
Christine M
CM
Lohse
David R
DR
Farley
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000601:surgery*; D059685:Herniorrhaphy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008910:Minnesota; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013526:Surgical Mesh / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends