Chronic Pain after Laparoscopic Transabdominal Preperitoneal Inguinal Hernia Repair

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic pain, defined as pain persisting for more than 3 months after inguinal hernia surgery, poses a significant challenge in postoperative management. This study compares outcomes, including chronic inguinal pain, pain levels before and after surgery, and hernia recurrence rates, among patients undergoing mesh fixation using tacker, histoacryl glue, or no mesh fixation in the context of Transabdominal Preperitoneal (TAPP) hernioplasty.

Methods: A prospective, double-blinded, two-site study was conducted on patients undergoing TAPP hernioplasty. The study included 59 male patients aged 26 to 76 years who underwent 85 hernioplasties using the TAPP technique. Postoperative pain intensity was assessed using the Carolinas Comfort Scale (CCS).

Results: Patients were followed up at 3, 12, and 24 months postoperatively. Chronic pain was present in 10.6% of patients at 3 months, 4.8% at 12 months,and 2.4% at 24 months post-surgery.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the type of mesh fixation does not significantly impact the risk of chronic postoperative pain. Additionally, we
observed no significant difference in pain scores pre- and postoperatively. Further studies may be warranted to explore optimal mesh fixation techniques in TAPP hernioplasty