Three-year results of randomised clinical trial comparing lightweight mesh with heavyweight mesh for inguinal hernioplasty.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present randomised study was to find out whether usage of lightweight mesh in inguinal hernia repair, compared with heavyweight mesh, results in decreased incidence of chronic groin pain and foreign body feeling, as well as to evaluate the risk factors for chronic pain development and hernia recurrences.


METHODS
The patients were randomised into the heavyweight mesh (HW) group and lightweight mesh (LW) group. A tension-free mesh repair using the Lichtenstein technique was performed on all patients. Pain scores during different activities were measured on visual analogue scale. All patients underwent a clinical examination for any evidence of hernia recurrence.


RESULTS
Of the patients, 17.2 % in the HW group and 29.3 % in the LW group reported that they experienced pain at 3-year follow-up (P = 0.1323). Pain was most often reported during physical activity. The median VAS score of all studied activities was 30.5 in the HW group and 30.0 in the LW group. There were more patients in the HW group than in the LW group who stated that they could feel the mesh in the groin (27.6 vs. 20.7 %, P = 0.3967). Among all patients, 42.9 % who had severe pain preoperatively also reported pain during different activities and 19.6 % of the patients who did not have severe pain preoperatively reported pain during different activities (P = 0.0481). At 3-year follow-up, there was 1 hernia recurrence in the HW group and 1 hernia recurrence in the LW group.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study shows that compared with HW mesh, LW mesh has no advantage in reducing chronic groin pain and foreign body feeling at the operation site after inguinal hernioplasty at 3-year follow-up. Severe preoperative pain was correlated with the development of chronic pain. There was no difference between the two study groups in the recurrence rates.
Clinic of Surgery, Tartu University Hospital, L. Puusepa 8, 51014, Tartu, Estonia.
C
C
Nikkolo
M
M
Murruste
T
T
Vaasna
H
H
Seepter
T
T
Tikk
U
U
Lepner
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000209:etiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000150:complications*; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000601:surgery*; D059685:Herniorrhaphy; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D011126:Polypropylenes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012008:Recurrence; D012677:Sensation; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013526:Surgical Mesh / Q000009:adverse effects
D011126:Polypropylenes