To summarize the effect of open preperitoneal repair in 40 cases of femoral hernia.

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 40 cases of femoral hernia in Ganzhou People's Hospital from May 2014 to December 2016, including 27 emergency cases and 13 elective cases.

In the elective group, the contents were 8 cases of omentum, 4 cases of hydrops, and 1 case of small intestine. In the emergency group, there were 26 cases of intestinal and 1 case of incarcerated omentum. 13 elective cases and 13 emergency cases received the preperitoneal mesh repair, and the other 14 emergency cases were perfomed with the suture repair following the Mcvay method. In the emergency group, 6 cases underwent intestinal excision. 3 elective cases and 24 emergency cases developed early complications, and the difference was statistically significant. The operation time was (94.211±13.927 min) and the length of stay was (7.777±2.206 d) in the emergency group, were longer than elective cases of (77.692±22.695 min) and (6.615±1.321 d), both had statistical significance; No mesh infection and no recurrence were found in mesh group in the follow-up duration, while there was one emergency case in suture group occurred.

Open preperitoneal mesh repair is a safe and optional procedure for the treatment of selective and some emergency femoral hernia. However, the early complication of the femoral hernia in the emergency cases was more than that in the selective cases. So we suggest that surgical treatment of femoral hernia should be performed at the time of selection as far as possible.