Background: The groin hernia is a significant social and economic problem of our times. The pathogenesis of the disease is not clear. The metalloproteinases (MMP) are the group of proteolytic enzymes responsible for the degradation of extracellular matrix proteins and the basic membrane of blood vessels. The aims of our study were: (1) to estimate the MMP-2 levels in the blood and tissues of patients with a groin hernia; (2) to answer the question of whether changes in MMP-2 activity correlate with the occurrence of inguinal hernias. Method: The study was performed on a group of 90 male patients suffering from inguinal hernias, aged 28–70 years (mean: 49 years). The control group was made up of 10 healthy (free from hernia) males, aged 30–68 years (mean: 46 years). Results: We noticed increased levels of MMP-2 in patients with all types of hernia and across all age groups. The MMP-2 mean serum levels were statistically higher in patients with a groin hernia when compared to the control group. The highest blood levels of MMP-2 were observed in young men with a direct hernia. Conclusions: This study confirmed the important role of MMP-2 in the pathogenesis of inguinal hernia. The increased activity may lead to dysfunctions in collagen fiber, which is responsible for forming fascial structures, and as a result weaken their durability.

Introduction : Laparoscopy has been a standard procedure in most medical centres providing surgical services for many years. Both the range and number of laparoscopic procedures performed are constantly increasing. Over the last decade, laparoscopic procedures have been successfully applied...

Background: Bridge therapy before surgery is one of indications for intragastric balloon (IGB) implantation. We aim to compare the outcomes of Medsil (non-adjustable), Orbera365 (non-adjustable), and Spatz3 (adjustable) IGBs used as a bridge therapy before laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG). Methods: The data of 148 patients with super-obesity (BMI > 50 kg/m²) who underwent IGB implantation as bridge treatment prior to LSG between July 2018 and December 2022 were analyzed. Patients were allocated according to device availability in consecutive procurement periods: Orbera365 (47 patients), Medsil (53 patients), and Spatz3 (48 patients). Weight loss (kg), BMI reduction, and percentage of excess weight loss (%EWL) were measured at 6 months. Results: Weight loss after 6 months was greatest in the Spatz3 group (mean 25 kg; median 24.64 kg; 19.46–33.04 kg) compared to the Medsil (mean 16 kg; median 16 kg; 11.7–33 kg) and Orbera365 (mean 14 kg; median 14.53 kg; 11.54–18.26 kg) groups. %EWL and %TWL were also greatest in the Spatz3 group (%EWL: 22.98%; %TWL: 14.0%) compared to the Medsil (%EWL: 15.06%; %TWL: 9.4%) and Orbera365 (%EWL: 13.71%; %TWL: 8.3%) groups. Conclusions: In super-obese patients undergoing a 6-month bridging therapy before LSG, an adjustable IGB with mid-term volume increase achieved greater short-term weight loss than non-adjustable devices. Implications for peri-operative outcomes require confirmation in prospective studies.