Editorial on the Status of Hernia Surgery Back to Pure Tissue Repair or Forward to Tohubohu

Earl Byrnes Shouldice

Shouldice Hospital, Thornhill, Ontario, Canada.

DOI: 10.4236/ijcm.2014.513100                

Abstract

Edoardo Bassini is considered the father of modern surgery. His early results revealed a 2.7% recurrence rate. Earl Shouldice, his true successor, has improved the results to less than 1%. These results were produced by several well-known surgeons from 1970-2000 and well published. The need for mesh was meant for a small segment of the surgical patient population. What has happened? Generally, recurrence rates with mesh have not come down; instead, pain has become the bane of hernia repair as we begin the 21st century. A pain which makes the patient wish that he had a recurrence instead!

Keywords

Hernia, Hernia Editorial, Laparoscopy, Polypropylene Mesh, Pure Tissue Repairs

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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