title: Three stitch hernioplasty: A novel technique for beginners.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze mesh fixation with minimum sutures and postoperative complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Department of General Surgery, Thanjavur Medical College and Hospital, Tamil Nadu, from July 2010 to June 2012.
  
  
  METHODS
  All inguinal hernia patients, who fulfilled the sample selection criteria, were admitted and planned for surgery. The prolene mesh is fashioned as in Lichtenstein's repair, placed and fixed only by three prolene stitches. The first stitch is made in the periosteum of pubic tubercle. The second stitch is taken in the inguinal ligament (1.5 cm lateral to the pubic tubercle) and the third stitch is from the medial most part of the conjoint tendon, that is, the mesh is fixed in the medial aspect alone.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Majority of the patients fall between the age group of 40 and 60 (72%) years and all are male patients. Of the total cases, 50% were right sided, 25% were left sided, and 25% were bilateral. Of the postoperative complications, 12% had seroma, 4% had hematoma, 2% developed surgical site infection, 2% developed chronic groin pain, 1% presented with recurrence, and none developed foreign body sinus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence of long-term complications of three stitch hernioplasty are comparable to that of the other standard, tension-free open hernia repair as well as other laparoscopic procedures. Moreover, the three stitch hernioplasty method is a simple method, easy for the beginners to adopt, has less foreign body reaction, less time consuming, causes less tissue trauma, and lesser chance for vascular injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Thanjavur Medical College and Hospital, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Manikandan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Patchayappan
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Stanley Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Sangara Narayanan
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Narayanasamy
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Thanjavur Medical College and Hospital, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Nagarajan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Duraisamy
keywords: Postoperative complications; prolene sutures; three stitch hernioplasty