Open hernia surgery is the standard and most common treatment method in hernia repair. In open surgery, the hernia is found by passing the layers with an incision made on the hernia and the hernia sac is either removed or pushed back into the abdomen and the hole is repaired and a patch is placed either under or over the muscle. Then, the opened layers are closed and the surgery is concluded. Open surgery can be applied to all hernias such as inguinal, femoral, umbilical, incisional, ventral, and sportsman's hernia.

Open repair of inguinal hernias:

This technique can be done with or without a patch, with a front or rear approach. Below are the names of these techniques:

     – Front-stitched (patchless) repairs: Bassini, Shouldice, McVay techniques

     – Frontal patch repairs: Lichtenstein, Rutkow-Robbins techniques

     – Back patch repairs: Stoppa, Wantz, Trabucco techniques.

     Of the repairs mentioned above, Lichtenstein is the gold standard technique. It is a technique that can be performed with local anesthesia, is easy to apply, and has a low risk of recurrence.