title: Tension-free inguinal hernia repair in "one-day surgery". Experience of 1091 cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In recent years new techniques to repair inguinal hernia have evolved in order to reduce recurrence rate and the overall costs of treatment of this pathology. This paper analyses our experience in verifying the theoretical advantages of the "tension-free" technique, after six years of this surgical practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  We describe the experience of 1091 "tension-free" hernia repairs with open placement of a mesh in 1034 patients, under local anesthesia with a "one-day surgery" regimen; these patients were observed during the period 1994 to 1999 at the Surgical Unit of Catholic University of Rome. The patients were between American Society of Anesthesia Status I to IV. Eight hundred patients underwent a mean follow-up of 29.7 months (range: 4-72) to evaluate the occurrence of late complications and recurrences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No mortality or major intraoperative complications was observed. The only minor intraoperative or postoperative complications encountered were easily managed. Early pain disappearance, fast convalescence and rapid resumption of working activity were observed. Six recurrences occurred in the patients undergoing follow-up (0.75% recurrence rate).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data confirm the safety, rapidity, and reproducibility of the "tension-free" technique under local anesthesia performed with a "one-day surgery" regimen for inguinal hernia repair. These characteristics explain the diffusion of this surgical procedure with reduction of social costs.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Clinica Chirurgica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Policlinico Agostino Gemelli, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buononato
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pittiruti
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maria
authors.forename: Casimiro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nigro
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sganga
authors.forename: Ignazio Massimo
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Civello
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000772:Anesthesia, Local; D005260:Female; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D013526:Surgical Mesh