title: [Incidence of contralateral inguinal hernias in infancy and childhood].
abstract: Inguinal hernia is a frequent surgical disease during infancy, occurring in 1 to 2% of all mature newborns and rise up to 30% of all premature babies. In 9.5% a contralateral hernia is found after unilateral operation. In our own patients this rate was 5.6%. The development of a contralateral hernia was significantly more often found in boys than in girls. If the hernia occurred during the first two months of life, a contralateral hernia developed later highly significant (p > 0.0001). Within the first two postoperative years the second hernia arose in 84.9%. We recommended to routinely operation for a contralateral hernia in all children younger than two months.
authors.affiliation: Chirurgische Universitätsklinik, RWTH Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Steinau
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schleef
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lambertz
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Schumpelick
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D012008:Recurrence; D012086:Reoperation