title: Inguinal hernia in infants with very low birth weight.
abstract: Inguinal hernias (IH) are among the most commonly encountered surgical problems in infants with very low birth weight (VLBW, <1,500 g) with a reported incidence of 16%. A trend toward earlier operation has emerged in recent years, with most now being repaired before discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit. The authors review the many special concerns regarding the management of IH in this patient population, including the timing of repair, the risk of incarceration, anesthetic management, the frequency of bilaterality, the high incidence of undescended testes, and the technical aspects and complications associated with IH repair in the VLBW infant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, The Children's Hospital of Greenville Hospital System, South Carolina 29605-4253, USA.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: DeCou
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Gauderer
mesh_terms: D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D013536:Suture Techniques