Is a Technically Challenging Procedure More Likely to Fail? A Prospective Single-Center Study on the Short- and Long-Term Outcomes of Inguinal Hernia Repair

Long term inguinal pain comparing TEP to Lichtenstein repair: the TEPLICH RCT 8 years follow-up

PURPOSE

To investigate long-term chronic postoperative inguinal pain (CPIP), QoL and recurrence in patients with a primary inguinal hernia comparing TEP to Lichtenstein.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A questionnaire-based follow-up containing the Inguinal Pain Questionnaire (IPQ), the Cunningham Pain Scale and SF-36 was done 8 years after the TEPLICH RCT. The main objective was non-ignorable pain last week according to IPQ. A phone interview was performed with patients reporting new non-ignorable pain and those having a suspected recurrence. Records were scanned for long-term CPIP and recurrences. A lost to follow-up analysis was performed.

RESULTS

A total of 322 of 366 patients (88%) completed the follow-up of mean 7.94 years (5-10.75 years). Non-ignorable pain last week was reported by 7.6% in TEP and 6.7% in Lichtenstein (p < 0.73). New non-ignorable pain was reported by 5 patients. No difference in non-ignorable pain over time (1-8 years) was observed within groups. Moderate to severe pain, according to Cunningham, was reported by 3.8% in TEP and 5.5% in Lichtenstein (p < 0.48). QoL remained above the Swedish norm. No recurrences occurred after 3 years follow-up. The lost to follow-up analysis showed no difference in non-ignorable pain.

CONCLUSIONS

RCTs, comparing TEP to Lichtenstein repair with follow-up ≥ 5 years regarding CPIP are sparse with conflicting data. In this study, low frequencies of CPIP present at 3 years seem to persist at 8 years. Recurrences occured within the first 3 years. Patients need to be informed of the risk of long-term CPIP.

Non-mesh inguinal hernia repair: Review

Hernioplasty stands as one of the most common abdominal surgical interventions. The "gold standard" treatment for inguinal hernias remains Lichtenstein mesh hernioplasty. Nonetheless, clinical practice continues to grapple with issues concerning complications such as recurrence, chronic postoperative pain, and infection. The myriad types of surgery lead to conflicting opinions regarding the superiority and drawbacks of inguinal canal plastic surgery methods. This article presents current data on the surgical treatment of non-mesh inguinal hernias, delineating the most prevalent techniques while exploring their respective advantages and disadvantages. Additionally, the researchers' experiences are analyzed in detail.

Transplant uretero-inguinal hernia resulting in urosepsis

Uretero-inguinal hernias are rare and can be difficult to diagnose. We present a case of a rare transplant kidney uretero-inguinal hernia. An 81-year-old male presented with urosepsis and was found to have an obstructed transplanted kidney secondary to herniation of the ureter into an inguinal hernia. The patient required interventional radiology decompression of the urinary system with a percutaneous nephrostomy tube. In this case, the patient's uretero-inguinal hernia was the extraperitoneal subtype allowing the diagnosis to be made easily on computed tomography imaging of the abdomen and pelvis which facilitated rapid treatment.