Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

Abstract

ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND:
Lichtenstein tension free hernioplasty(mesh repair) and Moloney darn repair are commonly practiced repairs for inguinal hernias with acceptably low recurrence rates. Mesh repair is considered more recent than darn repair and both of them are tension free.
OBJECTIVE:
To compare the number of postoperative complications and early recurrence between Mesh repair and Darn repair, for inguinal hernia.
PATIENTS AND METHODS:
The study was conducted at Department of Surgery, Al-Sadur teaching hospital in An-Najaf from 1st august 2007 to 1st august 2008 . A total of 104 patients were selected. 51 patients were treated with Lichtenstein tension free hernioplasty (Group A) and 53 with Darn repair (Group B). Cases were followed up for three months to one year. The study design was quasi experimental.
RESULT:
The male to female ratio was 51:1. The mean hospital stay was 37.18 hours in group A and 47.17 hours in group B. there was statistically significant difference between the groups ( p< 0.05).
The mean operative time was 44.7 minutes in group A and 50.9 minutes in group B. There was statistically significant difference between the groups ( p< 0.05). the The total number of postoperative complications was reported in 36 patients, 15 ( 29.42%) complications occurring in group A and 21( 39.62%) in group B. Scrotal swelling was the most common complication followed by urinary retention and wound infection in both study groups. Postoperative complications like scrotal swelling ( 11.77% vs. 16.98%), haematoma ( 5.88% vs. 3.77%), urinary retention (5.88% vs. 9.43%), wound infection ( 1.96 vs. 7.55%) and scar pain ( 3.92% vs. 1.89%) were unsignificantly low in Lichtenstein tension free hernioplasty as compared to Darn repair (P > 0.05). There were no recurrences noted till date in any of the two groups under study.
CONCLUSION
Open inguinal hernia repair with a nylon darn was equivalent to polypropylene mesh with respect to early measures of postoperative outcome and recurrence at 1 year. The mesh was superior to darn in operative time and hospital stay