How does the Lakeview Surgery Centres hernia repair differ from the Shouldice repair?
The hernia repair used at Lakeview Surgery Centre is the Perfix Mesh Plug technique. This is the most widely used and accepted outpatient hernia repair technique in North America. Initially designed by two general surgeons in Freehold, New Jersey, the mesh plug technique was rapidly adopted by the vast majority of general surgeons in U.S.A. and Canada. Recent studies on the mesh plug repair have reported recurrence rates of between 0.1% to 0.5%. The mesh repair is an outpatient procedure, and patients may resume full physical activitiy, including heavy lifting, within three weeks of the procedure. The Shouldice repair has remained unchanged for many decades, and uses wire suture material to close the hernia defect. Patients are admitted to the Shouldice hospital for two to four nights. It has a low recurrence rate as well, but may require a longer period off heavy physical activity following the procedure.
