Laparoscopic surgery for recurrent inguinal hernias

The OBJECTIVE was to evaluate the technical feasibility of endoscopic hernioplasty in recurrent inguinal hernia. METHODS AND MATERIALS. Personal experience of the authors covers more than 10 000 laparoscopic inguinal hernioplasties operated in 1996-2018. This paper analyzes the results of 127 patients treated for recurrent inguinal hernias after primary laparoscopic approach, reoperated using minimally-invasive surgical techniques.RESULTS. Possible causes of relapses after primary hernioplasty, both after TAPP and TEP techniques, were analyzed. The technical features of performing repeated laparoscopic interventions in this group of patients were considered. The developed and implemented technical methods, the tactics of the surgical treatment, the choice of the prostheses' type and size used in patients with various kinds of recurrent inguinal hernias were described. Results of the study included an analysis of the treatment while recommendations on the technique of repeated surgical intervention of recurrent hernias were formulated. The safety and effectiveness of the laparoscopic repeated surgery for recurrent inguinal hernias were shown. CONCLUSION. Laparoscopic approach to hernioplasty in recurrent inguinal hernia is equally effective after open and endoscopic primary repair. An increase in the number of hernioplasty for recurrent inguinal hernias with non-adhesive mesh grafts is promising. Contraindications to redo laparoscopic intervention may include high risk of general anesthesia and severe scarring in the lower abdomen

Adhesion of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Thin Films with Different Materials

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) possess extraordinary physical and chemical properties. Thin films of randomly oriented SWCNTs have great potential in many opto-electro-mechanical applications. However, good adhesion of SWCNT films with a substrate material is pivotal for their practical use. Here, for the first time, we systematically investigate the adhesion properties of SWCNT thin films with commonly used substrates such as glass (SiO2), indium tin oxide (ITO), crystalline silicon (C-Si), amorphous silicon (a-Si:H), zirconium oxide (ZrO2), platinum (Pt), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and SWCNTs for self-adhesion using atomic force microscopy. By comparing the results obtained in air and inert Ar atmospheres, we observed that the surface state of the materials greatly contributes to their adhesion properties. We found that the SWCNT thin films have stronger adhesion in an inert atmosphere. The adhesion in the air can be greatly improved by a fluorination process. Experimental and theoretical analyses suggest that adhesion depends on the atmospheric conditions and surface functionalization.Peer reviewe