At this stage of our development in surgery, the recurrence rate in hernia is too high. It varies from 5 to 25 per cent and may be due to faulty technic, to factors attributable to the patient or to the failure to comprehend the fundamental causes underlying the development of hernia.
In this monograph an attempt is made to explain and evaluate these points. The problems of the anatomy of the relevant areas of the abdominal wall are fully considered, and operative treatment is suggested based on an appreciation of the function of each significant structure and the causation of the particular hernia.
All the anatomic varietes of hernia (inguinal, femoral, umbilical, epigastric, diaphragmatic), even such rare ones as sciatic, obturator and lumbar, are considered. The greater portion of the book, however, is devoted to inguinal hernia. Particular attention is given to the various surgical procedures used for the repair