Prospective Randomized Trial Comparing Lichtenstein's Repair of Inguinal Hernia With Polypropylene Mesh Versus Surgisis

The Lichtenstein tension-free hernioplasty consists of a swatch of polypropylene mesh, partway slit 1 cm from its inferior edge to accommodate the spermatic cord. The mesh is sutured circumferentially to the internal oblique abdominal muscle, the rectus sheath and the shelving edge of the inguinal ligament. The tails of the mesh are drawn around the cord and the inferior edge of each tail is sutured to the inguinal ligament. In case of direct hernias, no effort is made to repair the hernia itself. In indirect hernias the sac is excised, except for sliding hernias. The polypropylene mesh group: in this group of patients the polypropylene mesh will be fixed by the above mentioned sutures in Prolene 3/0.

The Surgisis mesh group: in this group of patients a 7x20cm Surgisis ES Soft Tissue Graft sheet will be used. In sterile manner the sheet will be removed from the peel-open package. The Surgisis sheet will be cut and fashioned as appropriate. Then the pre-shaped sheet will will be placed for at least 10 minutes into a sterile dish with sterile room-temperature normo-saline to be rehydrated. Using aseptic techique, the rehydrated Surgisis sheet will be transferred to the already prepared and dissected inguinal region and will be fixed with PDS II 2/0.