Inguinal hernia repair with the mesh plug method is safe after radical retropubic prostatectomy

Purpose

We evaluated the safety and efficiency of using the mesh plug method (MP) to repair inguinal hernias in patients with a history of radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP). We also investigated how RRP influences the development of inguinal hernias and impacts their repair.

Methods

Among 488 adult male patients who underwent inguinal hernia repair during a recent 5-year period, 37 had a history of RRP. We compared the characteristics and surgical outcomes of the patients who had undergone RRP (post-RRP group) with those who had not (non-RRP group).

Results

All post-RRP hernias were treated by MP. The 37 post-RRP patients had a collective 41 hernias, 40 of which were of the indirect type. The side affected by the hernia did not differ significantly between the groups. We compared the short-term surgical outcomes of the indirect post-RRP hernias vs. the indirect non-RPP hernias without recurrence and incarceration. The operation times, postoperative hospital stay, and mobility rates did not differ significantly between the two groups. The blood loss was almost equal in both groups.

Conclusion

Inguinal hernia repair after RRP may be difficult because of inflammatory changes in the preperitoneal cavity, but the surgical outcomes of MP were equivalent in patients with or without a history of RPP in this study. MP is a safe and effective method for post-RPP hernia repair.