Long-term outcome for open preperitoneal mesh repair of recurrent inguinal hernia

Abstract

AimRecurrent inguinal hernia represents a major challenge for surgeons with high risks of re-recurrence and complications, especially when an anterior approach is adopted. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term results of the open preperitoneal mesh repair for recurrent inguinal hernia. MethodsWe performed a prospective clinical study of 107 consecutive patients having recurrent inguinal hernias between April 2006 and November 2010. All patients were operated on using open preperitoneal mesh repair. The demographics, perioperative variables, complications and recurrences were evaluated with all patients. ResultsThere were no major intraoperative complications. The average operative time was 42.1 min (range 28–83 min) for unilateral and 62.7 min (range 38–106 min) for bilateral hernias. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 1.6 days (range 1–9 days). The overall complication rate was 8.4%. There were two superficial wound infections, two groin seroma and three urinary retention. The mean follow-up time was 42.3 months (range 28–73 months), three patients developed hernia recurrence. No testicular, chronic pain or mesh-related complications were noted in these series. ConclusionOpen posterior preperitoneal mesh repair offers a viable option for recurrent inguinal hernias and achieves equally effective results to laparoscopic approaches with acceptable complication and recurrence rates. It is safer and easier to learn than laparoscopic repair and has become the preferred approach for treatment of the majority of recurrent inguinal hernias at our institution, especially useful for complex multirecurrent hernias and patients with cardiopulmonary insufficiency.