Comparison of quality-of-life outcomes of Stoppa vs bilateral Lichtenstein procedure

Hernia repair is one of the most frequent procedures in surgery. The aim of this study is to compare the early and long-term health status and clinical outcomes of patients in the postoperative period of Stoppa and bilateral Lichtenstein hernia repair in bilateral groin hernias. The Stoppa group consisted of 22 patients, and the bilateral Lichtenstein group had 23 patients. Both groups were similar with respect to age, gender, ASA score, and postoperative follow-up periods. A multidimensional measure of health status, the Short Form-36 (SF-36), was administered at 15 days and 6 months postoperatively. Although there is no difference between the two groups in the early postoperative period, three of eight health concepts measured with SF-36 (physical functioning, role limitation-physical, general health perception) showed a significant difference in long-term health status. We conclude that long-term quality of life following Stoppa operations is superior to bilateral Lichtenstein hernia repair in bilateral groin hernias.