Ipsilateral occult hernias during endoscopic groin hernia repair

Endoscopic repair of groin hernias allows the surgeon to have a complete view of the groin and pelvis to diagnose occult hernias both ipsilaterally and contralaterally. These occult hernias can then be treated simultaneously and may reduce the incidence of recurrence and persistent symptoms. The authors present four unusual cases where occult hernias were found ipsilaterally during an endoscopic repair. All these occult hernias were treated along with the clinically diagnosed hernia at the same surgery with excellent results and no post-operative morbidity.