The open surgical repair of primary inguinal hernias is better than the laparoscopic technique for mesh repair, a new study has shown (New England Journal of Medicine 2004;350: 1819-27).

Laparoscopic primary repair of hernias had been previously reported to result in low recurrence rates and to be associated with substantially less pain in the immediate postoperative period and earlier return to normal activities compared to open repair (New England Journal of Medicine 1997;336; 1541-7). But the laparoscopic technique requires general anaesthesia (because the abdominal cavity has to be inflated with air) and it is more often …