Surgical anatomy of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve for meralgia paraesthetica: A simple technical guide for surgeons and trainees alike

•Lateral femoral cutaneous nerve decompression can present pitfalls for trainees.•Surgical anatomy of the thigh and groin is not routine for neurosurgeons.•Understanding landmarks and tissue layers is key to identification of the nerve.•Step-by-step intraoperative photographs and schematic diagrams provide an aid. Meralgia paraesthetica is an entrapment neuropathy of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve, usually due to compression at the inguinal ligament as the nerve passes from the pelvis into the thigh. Surgical decompression of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve is a simple and effective treatment option, but the surgical anatomy of the area is not always familiar to neurosurgeons and neurosurgical trainees alike. This paper is a simple review of the relevant surgical anatomy and the surgical steps of lateral femoral cutaneous nerve decompression, with the aim of providing the busy surgeon and trainee a quick and easy reference guide to the procedure.