Surgical training and inguinal hernia repair

AIMS: To evaluate influence of surgical experience on inguinal hernia repair. PATIENTS: From 1997 to 2003, 380 patients (mean age 55 years old) with primary unilateral inguinal hernia were treated by Lichtenstein technique. METHODS: In this retrospective study, surgeons were classified in three groups: group 1: hernia repair was performed by an experimented surgeon (consultant or senior registrar) and a young surgical trainee (resident) (161 cases); group 2: surgery was performed by a junior surgeon (resident) under the control of an experimented surgeon (135 cases) and in the group 3 (84 cases), Lichtenstein technique was performed by two residents, alone, supervised by an experimented surgeon, in the operative room. Evaluation criterion were operative time, hospital stay, morbidity, time to return to normal and professional activities, recurrences and chronic pain with a follow up of, at least, 2 years. RESULTS: The three groups were comparable in term of socio economic data, hernia and follow up. The only significant (P=0.01) difference concern operative time which increased from 20% for group 2 and 3 (residents) compared to the group 1. There was also no difference between junior and senior resident. CONCLUSION: Lichtenstein hernia repair should be performed by young surgeon in training alone in condition of precise teaching organization and experimented surgeon supervision. For patient, in this condition, there is no trouble in term of surgical results.