Use of the Foley catheter in the repair of adult indirect inguinal hernias.

A widely opened internal ring and weakness of the transversalis fascia are the major defects in adult indirect inguinal hernia. Reducing the size of the ring and reinforcement of the transversalis fascia prevent hernial recurrence. During the repair, introduction of a Foley catheter into the internal ring and inflation of its balloon displaces the inferior epigastric vessels medially and the spermatic cord laterally. This position of the balloon enables a safe reconstruction of the internal ring without injury to the epigastric vessels and prevents tightening of the cord. This technique was successfully employed on 75 adult patients who underwent repair of an indirect inguinal hernia without complications.