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.