"Using a laparoscope for visualization, eminent laparoscopic surgeon Dr. Carlos Gracia closes a tear in th abdominal wall of a California policeman. The surgeon inserts a piece of mesh into the abdomen and then staples and sutures it, closing the opening of the inguinal hernia. Recovery from open surgery would have taken six to eight weeks; after laparoscopic surgery, the patient can go home the same day and expect a recovery time of one to two weeks."--Container.