ABSTRACT
Objective: The objective of this study is to show the incidence and characteristics of chronic groin pain after inguinal hernia repair using different types of prolene mesh.
Methods: The study was undertaken at the Department of Surgery, Clinical Hospital Centre Rijeka, and included 180 patients who had undergone inguinal hernia repair six to eight months prior to examination. Inguinal canal plasty had been done in 90 patients using a small-pored prolene mesh and in 90 patients using a large-pored prolene mesh. Every patient had undergone the Lichtenstein technique and preservation of inguinal nerves. Patients who felt pain were invited to complete a pain quality assessment scale (PQAS) with 20 items scored on a 0 to 10 numeric rating scale.
Results: In the group of patients who had undergone inguinal canal plasty using a small-pored prolene mesh, 16 (18%) of the 90 patients had chronic postoperative groin pain. In the group of patients (90 patients) that had undergone inguinal canal plasty using a large-pored prolene mesh, none expressed chronic postoperative groin pain. The Pain Quality Assessment Scale is divided into three sub-scales. The first sub-scale evaluates paroxysmal pain. The mean value on this sub-scale was 2.56, which pertains to mild pain. The second sub-scale examines superficial pain, which had a mean value of 2.08, and the third subscale evaluates deep pain, which had a mean value of 1.89. All values pertained to mild pain.
Conclusion: Using small-pored mesh for inguinal hernia repair increases the incidence of postoperative groin pain.