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QUESTION: In men with a primary unilateral hernia, is laparoscopic repair better than Shouldice repair for shortening recovery time without increasing the complication and recurrence rates?
Design
Randomised (allocation concealed*), unblinded,* controlled trial with a median follow-up of 12 months.
Setting
The surgical department of a district hospital in Nyborg, Denmark.
Patients
287 men who were 18–75 years of age, had a primary unilateral hernia, and were referred for elective surgery. Exclusion criteria were irreducible hernias and unfitness for general anaesthesia. 268 patients (93%, median age 48 y) were assessed at 1 month; follow-up at 24 months was 91%.
Intervention
Patients were allocated to transabdominal preperitoneal laparoscopic repair (n=146) or open hernia repair (n=141). In the laparoscopic group, …