Inguinal hernia recurrence and pain

Abstract

Recurrent hernias account for between 10 and 20% of all inguinal hernias repaired. When addressing the issue of recurrence and pain there are at least three questions that come to mind: 1. Are recurrent hernias more painful than primary inguinal hernias? 2. Is an increase in post-operative pain after primary inguinal hernia repair associated with recurrence? 3. Are recurrent inguinal hernias more likely to be associated with chronic pain after repair? We have reviewed the literature pertaining to these topics and in addition obtained data from our own patient population in an effort to provide some answers to these questions. © 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.