A cost–utility analysis of treatment options for inguinal hernia in 1,513,008 adult patients

Excerpt

I read with interest the comprehensive article on the cost utility analysis of the various surgical methods for treating inguinal hernias. One factor that does not appear to be considered in the authors’ analysis is the repair of bilateral hernias. In a previous article [1], we demonstrated that there are minimal differences between the early morbidity associated with bilateral laparoscopic hernia repairs and that associated with a unilateral laparoscopic procedure. Analysis of a personal series comprising approximately 800 cases of laparoscopic hernia demonstrates a 35% incidence of bilateral hernias, 50% of which were not identified preoperatively. All of the visualized contralateral hernias were repaired during the initial laparoscopic procedure. …