Background: In the last decade there have been dramatic changes in the treatment of inguinal hernia with the introduction of mesh techniques including laparoscopic repair. There is still some controversy regarding the treatment of bilateral inguinal hernia but simultaneous operation has gained popularity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of laparoscopic simultaneous bilateral hernia with regard to complications, recurrence rate, and late discomfort.
Methods: A retrospective analysis was made of 168 patients operated simultaneously for bilateral inguinal hernia using the laparoscopic technique between October 1993 and December 1998. Complications were registered and a follow-up was performed using a combination of questionnaire and selective clinical examination.
Results: Complications were seen in 23 patients (13.8%), the majority minor. Ninety-five percent of the patients were followed for a median of 36 months. The recurrence rate was 2.7%. Twenty-six of the follow-up patients (15.5%) reported some discomfort.
Conclusions: We conclude that simultaneous laparoscopic operation for bilateral inguinal hernia is safe, with complications, recurrence rate and late discomfort are equivalent to those seen after unilateral operation.