[Learning curve for "tension-free" reparation of inguinal hernia].
A prospective randomized study of 106 patients with unilateral primary inguinal hernia who underwent "tension-free" mesh repair was carried out. Fifty-nine procedures (group A) were performed by a single experienced surgeon and 47 (group B) procedures were performed by a team of residents each with an experience level of less than ten cases. In group A the length of operation was statistically shorter; local anesthesia was more frequently used in group A, while intra-operative sedation and general anesthesia were more frequently used in group B. A subgroup of twenty patients (group C) operated on by residents with a personal experience of at least 5 tension free repairs was selected. No statistically significant difference in operation time and in anesthesia used were found between group A and group C. No significant difference was found between group A and group B in morbidity rate, mean postoperative stay, median time to return to work, and recurrence rate. Because easy, efficacy, and minimally invasive, the tension-free mesh repair remains the gold standard in the treatment of inguinal hernia.
Istituto di I Clinica Chirurgica, Università degli Studi La Sapienza, Roma.
A
A
Tocchi
G
G
Liotta
G
G
Mazzoni
L
L
Lepre
G
G
Costa
F
F
Maggiolini
M
M
Miccini
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002983:Clinical Competence; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012372:ROC Curve; D013526:Surgical Mesh; D013536:Suture Techniques