General surgeons
vs. surgeons of BioHernia

Experts in their field
Guarantee of quality

In order to offer you the best possible care, we carefully select the surgeons that we cooperate with. BioHernia always views the inguinal hernia operations from the patient’s perspective. For this reason, we assess our surgeons not only on their technical skill, but also on other criteria. Characteristics such as empathy, treatment of patients, time for the patient and patient satisfaction are very important to us. The selection of our surgeons is based on the following criteria:

√ Ability to perform hernia operations without mesh
√ Number of hernia operations per year
√ Success rate of operations
√ Participation in scientific research
√ Skills in removing painful hernia meshes
√ Independence (free of potential conflicts of interest)

Number of inguinal hernia operations per surgeon, per year

Achieving a certain number of operations per year is a very important qualification for our surgeons. The operation methods (without mesh) that we use, are only ensured of a good result in the hands of experienced surgeons. The level of expertise increases with the repetitive execution of a certain operation. ⁽¹⁾ Therefore the best surgeons perform at least 300 inguinal hernia operations (per year) and can therefore guarantee a lower risk of recurrence (less than 2%).

Why is experience so important?

Proficiency in operation methods leads to a lower risk of recurrence and complications for you. After all, the groin is a traffic node of nerves where an inexperienced surgeon can easily make a mistake .⁽²⁾ An in-depth knowledge of the anatomy is therefore a prerequisite for a successful operation. An experienced surgeon easily finds his way through the many nerves in the groin and repairs inguinal hernias without causing damage to surrounding tissues and nerves. With an average of 400 inguinal hernia operations per year, our surgeons distinguish themselves in the field of experience.

In addition, traditional operation methods without mesh consistently have good results in the hands of skilled surgeons. Surgeons and clinics such as Shouldice Hospital have shown for years that the risk of recurrences is very small (around 1%⁽³⁾). Proponents of hernia mesh, however, point to studies that show high recurrence for inguinal hernia operations without meshes. The problem with all these studies is that they use the results of heterogeneous groups of surgeons. These groups are likely to include surgeons who are not well trained or inexperienced in non-mesh operation methods.

Why our surgeons do things differently
Our surgeons believe in a patient-oriented diagnosis

Our surgeons belong to a handful of surgeons worldwide who can still perform the inguinal hernia operation in the traditional way without a plastic mesh. Although the use of meshes has taken over the field of hernia surgery, they believe that the use of a mesh is not always the right solution. ⁽⁴⁾

It is important to understand that our surgeons are not completely against the use of meshes, but against the standard policy where every hernia is automatically treated with a mesh. Our surgeons believe that the state of the hernia and tolerance of plastics must be examined per patient. In the majority of patients, a mesh is unnecessary. Furthermore, their main objections are as follows:

The uncertainty about the effect of plastic meshes in the body over the long term.
In most cases the patients’ own tissue is strong enough to repair a hernia (especially with small hernias and young patients).
The fact that plastic meshes can cause an inflammatory reaction in many patients.

Dr. Koch & Dr. Schouldice teaching the Shouldice method to students

Our surgeons are members of the following organisations

Frontrunners in the field of hernias
Our surgeons carry out a lot of research themselves

In addition to their daily activities, our surgeons are working to make a change in the field of hernia surgery, both in top sports and for private patients. They do this by actively attending meetings, contributing to research, working with top athletes and by being a director or member of organisations in their field.

Muschaweck congress