title: Postoperative comfort after plug-and-patch repair of recurrent inguinal hernia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate postoperative comfort after the plug-and-patch repair.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University hospital, Germany.
  
  
  METHODS
  From July 1995 until August 2000, 93 consecutive patients with recurrent inguinal hernia were operated on using the plug-and-patch technique.
  
  
  METHODS
  Postoperative comfort assessed by pain (visual analogue score), analgesic requirements, duration of hospital stay, and restriction of daily activities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Postoperative pain decreased continuously from the morning of the first postoperative day (median VAS: 5.4; range 1.2-6.9) until day 13 (VAS <1). The median amount of analgesics given to the patients for 4 days was dipyrone 5.2 g (range 2.1-8.4). Median duration of hospital stay was 5 (2-14) days, limitation of daily activities 6 days (range 3-17) and 34 patients who were employed had returned to work after 21 days (range 8-42).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plug-and-patch repair offers a high degree of comfort to patients with recurrent inguinal hernia.
authors.affiliation: Department of General, Visceral, Vascular and Thoracic Surgery, Charité, Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany. juergen.zieren@charite.de
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zieren
authors.forename: Heiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Neuss
authors.forename: Andrew W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Philipp
authors.forename: Jochen M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Müller
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D005260:Female; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011126:Polypropylenes; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D013526:Surgical Mesh; D013536:Suture Techniques
chemical_list: D011126:Polypropylenes