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The results of properitoneal mesh repair of inguinal hernia were evaluated in 38 of 43 consecutive patients operated by Stoppa's technique. In 33 patients the hernia was bilateral and in 10 unilateral; in 20 it was recurrent. In 33/43 patients the mesh was fixed either by sutures or metal clips. The overall recurrence rate after 22 (14-36) months of follow-up, was 10.5%. This result was composed of a 3.0% recurrence rate in the fixated-mesh group, and 30.0% among those with non-fixated mesh. The outcome following the Stoppa method for tension-free properitoneal mesh repair of inguinal hernia, compares favorably with those of other methods, provided proper attention is paid to adequate mesh placement and fixation. Further prospective studies are needed to define the role and indications for this technique in the laparoscopic era.

2 patients with unusual presentations of malignant melanoma involving the small intestine, a 75-year-old woman and a 78-year-old man, are described. One underwent laparotomy for diagnosis and removal of a retroperitoneal mass, with no preoperative evidence of the primary disease. The other underwent emergency laparotomy for small bowel obstruction due to intussusception, which was found to result from a metastatic melanoma. A melanoma had been completely resected from the patient's thigh a month previously, but full investigation before the operation for intussusception failed to establish the diagnosis. Malignant melanoma tends to spread to the small intestine, but tumors of this organ are very rare. Preoperative diagnosis is important since it may improve the outcome of surgical intervention, as well as the prognosis in general.

92% of our first 60 laparoscopic cholecystectomies were successful. Postoperative complications included fever in 10 cases (17%), urinary retention in 5 (8%), intraabdominal abscess in 2 (3%), biliary leakage in 1 (2%) and unexplained abdominal pain in 10 (17%). Although laparoscopic cholecystectomy has obvious advantages, it also has major as well as minor complications.