Technological and instrumentation aspects of laparoscopic hernia surgery

Laparoscopic hernia surgery, like other types of minimally invasive surgery (MIS), has been shaped and impacted by the emergence of new surgical techniques and the assimilation of new and evolving medical technologies. To address the technological and instrumentation aspects of laparoscopic herniorrhaphy comprehensively could extend the discussion from a macro-perspective dealing with issues of operative suite design and integration of technology to a micro-view focusing on, for example, the tines of a dissecting instrument. Such a dissertation is beyond the scope of this chapter. Instead, we will focus upon the instruments, equipment and material used in laparoscopic hernia surgery and the related technological advances that have facilitated a widening adoption of various laparoscopic hernia procedures. Some topics that are dealt with in greater detail in later chapters, such as methods of mesh fixation and surgical energy sources, will receive more cursory mention in this chapter, in the context of specific instrument use and development. Ergonomic considerations in surgical instrument and equipment design, so often overlooked yet so vital to optimal surgical performance, will also be addressed.