The combined laparoscopic approach for the treatment of incarcerated inguinal hernia

Background The traditional open approach to incarcerated inguinal hernia has several drawbacks including difficulty avoiding tension in the swollen and edematous tissues leading to a higher recurrence rate, possible contamination of the mesh if it is implanted in an area of bowel strangulation, and proper evaluation of whether ischemic bowel requires resection or not, which may mandate laparotomy. This study aimed to evaluate an approach that combines intraperitoneal laparoscopic exploration with hernia reduction and total extraperitoneal (TEP) repair of the hernia.