Comparison between anatomical polyester (Parietex) mesh and polypropylene (Prolene) mesh with fixation in total extraperitoneal repair for inguinal hernia

Introduction: Laparoscopic inguinal hernia surgery has been gaining in worldwide popularity, with the total extraperitoneal (TEP) repair gaining greater acceptance than the transabdominal pre‐peritoneal repair. Most techniques using TEP advocate some form of fixation of the prosthesis, but newer meshes avoid the use of fixation. Methods: We compared the use of the polyester mesh (Parietex; Tyco, Princeton, USA) without fixation and polypropylene (Prolene; Ethicon, USA) mesh with fixation using either ProTack (Tyco, USA) or EndoAnchor (Ethicon, Cincinnati, USA) in a consecutive series of patients who underwent total TEP endoscopic inguinal hernia repair. Results: Of 127 patients who underwent TEP repairs, 60 had Parietex mesh while 67 had Prolene mesh with fixation. The mean age was 50 years old and 97% were men. There was no difference in patient demographics or complication rate. The most common complication was small seroma or hematoma formation in 14% of patients and none required re‐operation. There was no hernia recurrence in either group with a mean follow‐up period of 13 months. Conclusion: This study shows that in laparoscopic TEP inguinal hernia repair, early results indicate comparable results between the use of polyester (Parietex) mesh without fixation and polypropylene (Prolene) mesh with fixation.