title: Laparoscopic inguinal exploration and mesh placement for chronic pelvic pain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Chronic pelvic pain affects 15% of women. Our objective was to evaluate empiric laparoscopic inguinal exploration and mesh placement in this population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cohort with follow-up questionnaire of women with lateralizing chronic pelvic pain (right or left), ipsilateral inguinal tenderness on pelvic examination, no clinical hernia on abdominal examination, and ipsilateral empiric laparoscopic inguinal exploration with mesh placement (2003-2009). Primary outcome was pain level at the last postoperative visit. Secondary outcomes were pain level and SF-36 scores from the follow-up questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-eight cases met the study criteria. Surgery was done empirically for all patients, with only 7 patients (15%) found to have an ipsilateral patent processus vaginalis (shallow peritoneal dimple or a deeper defect (occult hernia)). Of 43 cases informative for the primary outcome, there was pain improvement in 15 patients (35%); pain improvement then return of the pain in 18 patients (42%); and pain unchanged in 9 patients (21%) and worse in 1 patient (2%). Improvement in pain was associated with a positive Carnett's test in the ipsilateral abdominal lower quadrant (P = .024). Thirteen patients returned the questionnaire (27%), and the pain was now described as improved in 9 patients (69%), unchanged in 4 patients (31%), and worse in none. Three SF-36 subscales showed improvement (physical functioning, social functioning, and pain).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In select women with chronic pelvic pain, empiric laparoscopic inguinal exploration and mesh placement results in moderate improvement in outcome. A positive Carnett's test in the ipsilateral abdominal lower quadrant is a predictor of better outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of British Columbia; Vancouver, BC, Canada. pyong@cw.bc.ca
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Yong
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Allaire
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007264:Inguinal Canal / Q000601:surgery*; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013526:Surgical Mesh; D055815:Young Adult