Why is an open inguinal hernia repair better than a laparoscopic hernia repair?

IT ISN'T, IMO: There are multiple approaches a surgeon can take to repair an inguinal hernia. Factors include age of patient, primary or recurrent hernia, medical issues, size of hernia, etc. My primary choice as a surgeon is a laparoscopic approach, but i certainly use the open technique when i feel it's best. Discuss with your surgeon, as both approaches are viable. Good luck.

It may not be...: Inguinal hernia repair is technically challenging, open or laparoscopic. The laparoscopic repair is relatively new and not all surgeons are comfortable performing repair this way. Statistically, the failure rate of open hernia repair is between 1-5% depending on sugeon expertise. Conversely, laparoscopic failure is much higher up to 10% and more depending on experience. More experience=less failur.