P112 INCIDENTAL INGUINAL HERNIA IN MEN

Aim “Ultrasound may contribute to establish the cause of nonspecific groin complaints. However, the risk is diagnosing an incidental inguinal hernia whereas the pain has an alternative cause. Overtreatment is to be prevented. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of a previously unknown inguinal hernia among working-age men without groin complaints.” Material and Methods “A cross sectional study was conducted in healthy men aged 45-67 years. Men with a Body Mass Index (BMI) > 40, a history of groin complaints, a known inguinal hernia or previous inguinal surgery were excluded. Ultrasound of both groins was performed in supine position with and without a Valsalva manoeuvre by a specialised ultrasound technician in consultation with a radiologist. In all groin ultrasounds showing an inguinal hernia, physical examination was executed by a hernia surgeon.” Results “In the months June and November of 2018, 200 groins of 100 men were analysed. In 16 (16%) men an inguinal hernia was found on groin ultrasound (95% confidence interval [8.8 – 23.2]). In 12 men this was a unilateral inguinal hernia and in 4 men a bilateral inguinal hernia. Ultrasound yielded no other pathology.” Conclusions “In a population of men aged 40-67 years without groin complaints, ultrasound detects an inguinal hernia in 16%. Hence, the probability of wrongly attributing groin complaints to an incidental inguinal hernia, diagnosed on ultrasound, is considerable. ”

Comparative Study Between Caudal Block And Local Wound Infiltration In Inguinal Hernia Repair In Pediatric Patients

Background Postoperative analgesia can be provided by a multimodal approach includes opioids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, paracetamol infusion and regional anesthetic techniques such as local infiltration or nerve blocks. In contrast to opioids, local anesthetics can be administered safely and in recent guidelines regional anesthesia is accepted as the cornerstone of postoperative pain relief in the pediatric patients. Objective Compare the postoperative analgesic effectiveness of local wound infiltration of bupivacaine against bupivacaine administered caudally in pediatric patients undergoing unilateral inguinal hernia repair. Patients and methods This study was carried out in Ain Shams University hospitals on 40 pediatric patients of both sexes aged from 6 months to 7 years belonging to ASA I or II undergoing elective unilateral inguinal hernia repair. They were randomly allocated into two groups: group C receiving caudal block, group L receiving local wound infiltration. Hemodynamic changes, postoperative pain score using FLACC pain score, postoperative analgesia and complications were recorded. Results There was no significant difference between the two groups as regard demographic data or hemodynamic variables. Pain score shows no statically significant differences between two groups in the first hour. But statistically significant decrease in FLACC score after (1, 2 and 3 hours) in group C in comparison with group L.decreased significantly in group C after 1 hour postoperative. Duration of analgesia longer in group C with no significant difference in total amount of postoperative analgesia. There was significant increase in incidence in complications in group C than group L Conclusion Caudal block provides better and longer analgesia but requires experience and may lead to complications. In contrast, wound infiltration is simple without significant side effects. Therefore, local wound infiltration may be a preferred technique for producing postoperative analgesia in pediatric inguinal hernia repair.

Contralateral surgical exploration during inguinal hernia repair in infants (HERNIIA trial): study protocol for a multi-centre, randomised controlled trial

Background The incidence of metachronous contralateral inguinal hernia (MCIH) is high in infants with an inguinal hernia (5–30%), with the highest risk in infants aged 6 months or younger. MCIH is associated with the risk of incarceration and necessitates a second operation. This might be avoided by contralateral exploration during primary surgery. However, contralateral exploration may be unnecessary, leads to additional operating time and costs and may result in additional complications of surgery and anaesthesia. Thus, there is no consensus whether contralateral exploration should be performed routinely. Methods The Hernia-Exploration-oR-Not-In-Infants-Analysis (HERNIIA) study is a multicentre randomised controlled trial with an economic evaluation alongside to study the (cost-)effectiveness of contralateral exploration during unilateral hernia repair. Infants aged 6 months or younger who need to undergo primary unilateral hernia repair will be randomised to contralateral exploration or no contralateral exploration (n = 378 patients). Primary endpoint is the proportion of infants that need to undergo a second operation related to inguinal hernia within 1 year after primary repair. Secondary endpoints include (a) total duration of operation(s) (including anaesthesia time) and hospital admission(s); (b) complications of anaesthesia and surgery; and (c) participants’ health-related quality of life and distress and anxiety of their families, all assessed within 1 year after primary hernia repair. Statistical testing will be performed two-sided with α = .05 and according to the intention-to-treat principle. Logistic regression analysis will be performed adjusted for centre and possible confounders. The economic evaluation will be performed from a societal perspective and all relevant costs will be measured, valued and analysed. Discussion This study evaluates the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of contralateral surgical exploration during unilateral inguinal hernia repair in children younger than 6 months with a unilateral inguinal hernia. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.govNCT03623893. Registered on August 9, 2018 Netherlands Trial Register NL7194. Registered on July 24, 2018 Central Committee on Research Involving Human Subjects (CCMO) NL59817.029.18. Registered on July 3, 2018

Efficacy And Safety Of 5% Lidocaine Patches For Postoperative Pain Management In Patients Undergoing Unilateral Inguinal Hernia Repair: Study Protocol For A Prospective, Double-Blind, Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial

Background: Acute postoperative pain is a common complication of inguinal hernia repair. Pain management using local application of anesthetic agents over the skin surrounding the surgical incision may reduce the requirement for other pain medications. Targeted topical analgesics such as 5% lidocaine patches have been known to improve acute and chronic pain. However, the clinical effect of lidocaine patches on postoperative pain after inguinal hernia repair has not been studied, especially in patients undergoing surgery at day surgery units.Methods/design: This is a single-center, prospective, double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial. Participants with unilateral inguinal hernia will be randomized to the lidocaine patch group or the placebo patch group. Based on the randomized allocation sequence, either lidocaine patches or placebo patches will be attached near each participant’s surgical wound after open hernia repair under general anesthesia. Participants will be asked to follow-up at our outpatient clinic on the first postoperative day and at one week after surgery. The primary outcome is pain intensity, which will be measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at the time of discharge from the day surgery unit. The secondary outcomes are VAS score at 24 hours and one week after surgery. We will collect and analyze the participants’ clinical data (amount of intraoperative opioid use, time to recovery, and pain intensity at 30 min after surgery) and demographic characteristics (age, sex, body weight, and height).Discussion: This trial may not only provide evidence on the efficacy of a 5% lidocaine patch for acute postoperative pain management after unilateral inguinal hernia repair, but also demonstrate the efficacy and safety of the patch for post-discharge pain management.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04754451 (registered on February 10, 2021). https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04754451

Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair—TAPP versus TEP: Results of 301 Consecutive Patients

Introduction: Transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) and totally extraperitoneal (TEP) hernia repair are the two most commonly used techniques in laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair, and the results of comparative studies are conflicting. The objective of this study is to compare the two methods in unilateral inguinal hernia repair. Materials and Methods: The data of consecutive patients who underwent TEP and TAPP due to unilateral inguinal hernia between December 7, 2017, and March 15, 2020, were analyzed retrospectively. The primary outcome was to compare the clinical outcomes of the two techniques in terms of complications, conversion, pain, and operative time. The secondary outcome was recurrence rates. Results: A total of 301 (TEP n=234, TAPP n=67) patients were included in the study. The mean age was 43 years, and the follow-up period was two years. The groups were similar in terms of demographic characteristics and hernia type. The mean operative time was longer in the TAPP group than in the TEP group (67 min and 58 min, p=0.007). The recurrence rate was 4.3% in the TEP group and 5.9% in the TAPP group (p>0.05). The conversion rate was 6% in both groups. In total, 19 (6.3%) patients had intraoperative complications (TEP n=16, TAPP n=3), and 23 (7.6%) patients had postoperative complications (TEP n=16, TAPP n=7). Both intraoperative and postoperative complication rates were similar between the groups (p=0.31 and p=0.051, respectively). The early postoperative pain was less in the TEP group (p=0.004). Conclusion: Less early postoperative pain and shorter operative time were detected in patients who underwent TEP.

The Operative Time for Unilateral Inguinal Hernia Repair in Children Performed with Percutaneous Internal Ring Suturing (PIRS) or Open Approach Method

In this study, we compared the operative time for unilateral inguinal hernia repair in children performed with either an open approach (OA) or the Percutaneous Internal Ring Suturing (PIRS) method. It was a retrospective chart review of all patients ages 0 to 18 who underwent unilateral inguinal hernia repair in the Department of Pediatric Surgery, Urology and Traumatology of the Regional Hospital in Kielce between January 2011 and December 2018. Patients with bilateral hernias or additional problems were excluded. Of 878 patients qualified for the study, 701 were in the OA group and 177 in the PIRS group. Overall, the time needed to complete the procedure was significantly longer for the OA method. The operative time was longer if the hernia was left-sided (p = 0.024). Analysis by gender showed that operative time was generally longer in males. For both genders, surgery was shorter if the PIRS method was used. For males in the PIRS group the operative time was affected by the location of the hernia, and it was longer for a left-sided hernia. The take-home message is that the PIRS procedure is faster than the OA for inguinal hernia repair in children and it might be considered as a preferred method, especially in females.