Which of the statement(s) is/are true concerning laparoscopic hernia repair?

a. General anesthesia is required

b. Either an abdominal or preperitoneal approach is possible

c. The use of prosthetic mesh is required in all variations

 The laparoscopic approach to the repair of groin hernias has been recently developed. Either a transabdominal approach, wherein the peritoneum in the inguinal area is opened, and the repair is performed in the preperitoneum or an entirely preperitoneal approach can be used. In either technique, which are both performed under general anesthesia, after reducing the visceral contents out of the hernia, the repair is performed by placing a sheet of prosthetic mesh over the internal aspect of the inguinal floor and internal ring. Although early results and short-term benefits appear promising, long-term follow-up data is still not available to compare these techniques with traditional repairs.