The measurement of chronic pain and health-related quality of life following inguinal hernia repair: a review of the literature.
METHODS
This study reviews the existing literature examining chronic pain and health-related quality of life (HRQL) outcomes in hernia repair studies. A PubMed/Medline and Embase search was carried out to identify relevant papers. Studies meeting pre-specified inclusion/exclusion criteria were included and fully reviewed. Reference lists were scanned for additional studies. Only studies examining chronic (>3 months) post-operative inguinal hernia repair (IHR)-related pain were included in this review.


CONCLUSIONS
Twenty-three studies were identified. The majority of studies used the visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain measurement and the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 36 (SF-36) for the measurement of HRQL. A reasonably consistent picture emerged from the literature, with the HRQL domains most often affected by pain (social functioning/mental health). Estimates of the prevalence of chronic pain and discomfort following IHR vary widely between studies. This is probably a reflection of the range of methods used for measuring pain, many of which do not have established psychometric properties. Our review suggests that a proportion of patients experience chronic pain and discomfort, which has a significant impact on HRQL. However, the current instruments used in the evaluation of chronic pain after IHR are not comparable and standardisation is required.
van Hanswijck de Jonge
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P
United BioSource Corporation, 20 Bloomsbury Square, London, WC1A 2NS, UK.
Lloyd
A
A
Horsfall
L
L
Tan
R
R
O'Dwyer
P J
PJ
D002908:Chronic Disease; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain; D011788:Quality of Life