Comparison of postoperative pain in laparoscopic inguinal hernia repairs by the transabdominal preperitoneal technique with self-gripping mesh versus tacker fixation

Abstract

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of self-gripping mesh and prolene mesh fixed with staples on postoperative pain in patients undergoing videolaparoscopic inguinal herniorrhaphy by the transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study analyzed data from 52 patients (46 males, mean age 54.9 years, 51.9% right-sided hernias) who underwent TAPP. They were operated on consecutively and randomly in two groups of 26 patients each: Group 1 with self-gripping mesh and Group 2 with endoscopic tacker-fixed prolene mesh. Each patient's postoperative pain was recorded twice using a visual analog scale (VAS) at 6 and 24 h after the surgery. Patients were followed up to 10 months after the surgery. RESULTS: The median VAS score at 6 h for all patients was 3. The median score at 24 h was 1. The median VAS scores of the two groups were different at 6 h: In Group 1, the median score was 2, whereas in Group 2, it was 3 (P = 0.053). At 24 h, there was no difference between the groups, with a median score of 1 in both (P = 0.277). CONCLUSION: There was no statistically significant difference between groups according to postoperative pain (after 6 h and after 24 h). Studies with larger samples are needed to compare self-gripping mesh with tacker fixation in laparoscopic inguinal hernia repairs. The technique performed was safe and reproducible, with a low complication rate, early patient discharge, and good postoperative recovery.