Prospective study on the effects of a polypropylene prosthesis on testicular volume and arterial flow in patients undergoing surgical correction for inguinal hernia

PURPOSE: To evaluate testicular volume and arterial flow in patients undergoing surgical correction for inguinal hernia, with polypropylene prosthesis. METHODS: This was an observational prospective clinical study on 39 male patients with unilateral inguinal hernia of types III A and III B according to the Nyhus classification who underwent surgical correction with implantation of a polypropylene prosthesis by means of the Lichtenstein technique. The patients were evaluated using Doppler ultrasound before the operation and selectively at the third and sixth months after the operation. The variables studied were testicular volume, systolic and diastolic velocity, resistance index and pulsatility index. RESULTS: No statistically significant alterations in the variables studied were observed over the course of time: testicular volume (p= 0.197); systolic velocity (p= 0.257); diastolic velocity (p= 0.554); resistance index (p= 0.998); and pulsatility index (p= 0.582). CONCLUSION: No alteration in testicular volume and arterial flow over a six-month period was observed among patients who underwent surgical correction for inguinal hernia using a polypropylene prothesis.

Rivesova tehnika (direktan ingvinalni pristup) u resavanju velikih ingvinoskrotalnoh i recidivantnih kila

In solving inguinal hernias, surgeons today have in front of them many variations of different operative procedures (both tensional and nontensional techniques). They are performed through operative or endoscope approach. Classical tension techniques present the operation of choice for smaller indirect, direct or femoral hernias among younger patients while non/tensional techniques are the best solution for all types of inguinal herniar among older patients with big destruction of transversal fascia and the best solution for most of recurrent hernias. Positioning of mesh with nontensional techniques can be completed on different levels. with big hernias where the biggest part of transversal fascia of miopectineal orifitium is destroyed it is anatomically the most useful to place the mesh in preperitoneal space. Rives technique is the base of that concept and it presents one of good solutions in that kind of situations. In the period January 2001 until December 2002 using different operative techniques the authors treated 99 inquinal hernias of which 78 were primary and 21 recurrent hernias. Rives technique was performed in 46 cases (46.5%) among which 26 cases were primary inguinoscrotal hernias (3 patients IIIA, 22 patients IIIB, 1 patient IIIC, according to Nyhus classification) and 20 cases were recurrent hernias (6 patients IVA, 11 IVB, 3 IVD). Complications after Rives technique were the following: 1 recurrence (2,17%), 1 ischemic orchitis (2,17%) and 1 scrotal hematoma (2,17%). Infections and chronic pain were not present. The follow up was from 30 days to 2 years. Authors have shown that Rives technique is reliable solution for primary indirect, direct and femoral hernias with big hernial defect (especially for big, so called "giant" inquinoscrotal hernias) and for all types of recurrent hernias. The advantage of the technque is an easy performace without some previous special training because of the fact that dissection and preparation is the same as for the tension techniques. With small amount of prosthetic material all weak points of miopectineal orifitium are closed. The real risks of this technique are ischemic orchitis and chronis neuralgia in treatment of recurrent hernias and the presence of polypropylene mesh in Bogras space.