Inguinal hernia, commonly known as “hernia”, is a common surgical condition. It is caused by the presence of a weak area or defect in the inguinal region, resulting in the outward protrusion of intra-abdominal organs. It can not only cause great inconvenience to the patient’s work and life, but, more seriously, can also cause necrosis of the intestinal canal and thus endanger the patient’s life if it causes impaction. Therefore, once an inguinal hernia occurs, it should be treated with surgery as soon as possible. Inguinal hernia surgery has been performed for more than 400 years. Although surgeons have become more skilled over the centuries, a small percentage of inguinal hernia patients still recur after surgery. According to the authorities, the overall recurrence rate after inguinal hernia surgery is 1-4%. Once recurrence occurs, it not only causes great pain to the patient, but also makes re-operation extremely difficult due to scarring, adhesions and mesh implantation in the operated area caused by the previous surgery. Because of this, the chance of recurrence after recurrent hernia surgery is higher than that of the initial surgery. Grandpa Zeng from Changsha County is a typical example. He was 68 years old and underwent surgery in a local hospital after getting a hernia 10 years ago. Unexpectedly, the hernia recurred 2 years after surgery. He had to undergo surgery again at the local hospital. This time, in order to prevent recurrence, the doctor not only repaired the defect, but also gave him a patch in his groin area, which is often referred to as a “patch” in medical terms. Unexpectedly, just 1 year later, his hernia recurred again. Thinking about the pain of the 2 surgeries, he was afraid to go back to the hospital for treatment. It was not until this year that he heard from an acquaintance that there was a good treatment for recurrent hernia at Xiangya Hospital that he found the courage to come to Xiangya Hospital for general surgery. After a detailed understanding of his condition, the doctor thought that his condition was suitable for this new surgical method and soon arranged the surgery for Grandpa Zeng. The surgery was successful and he was discharged from the hospital only 2 days after the surgery. What kind of surgery did the doctor perform on him that allowed him to recover so quickly? What are the long-term results of this surgery? This new surgical procedure is laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair. It is a minimally invasive method of repairing abdominal wall defects. A laparoscope and hernia repair material (patch) are inserted through one 5 mm and two 10 mm “keyholes” in the abdominal wall to increase the strength of the abdominal wall and heal the inguinal hernia. Since the approach is the opposite of the traditional hernia repair approach, this approach allows the treatment of recurrent inguinal hernia avoiding the original surgical scar area and providing a clear anatomical structure, resulting in excellent surgical results and significantly reducing the chance of recurrence. Moreover, due to the small and concealed incision, the patient’s pain is significantly reduced after surgery and the hospital stay is significantly shorter. This minimally invasive surgical approach has now become the procedure of choice for the treatment of recurrent inguinal hernia.