HERNIOPLASTY WITH AND WITHOUT MESH: ANALYSIS OF THE IMMEDIATE COMPLICATIONS IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL

Background:

Inguinal hernia repair is the most common procedure in general surgery and 80,000operations are performed annually in Great Britain, 100,000 in France and 700,000in the US. Given its high frequency has a major impact, both in the medical andeconomic aspects.

Aim:

Analyze the immediate postoperative complications comparing mesh versus non meshhernioplasty.

Method:

Randomized control trial, with the enrollment of 263 patients underwent surgeryfor inguinal hernia randomized by randomization table. Treatment (mesh,Lichtenstein or without mesh, Bassini technique) was assigned using sequentiallynumbered opaque envelopes having fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The variablesanalyzed were: postoperative pain, seroma, hematoma, infection, return to normalactivities and recurrence.

Results:

The mean age was 55.5 years, 88% patients were male and 12% female. The pain washigher in patients operated with mesh.

Conclusions:

The inguinal hernia repair mesh group had less immediate postoperativecomplications and significantly earlier return to work than hernioplasty withoutmesh, this being one of the most important conclusions.