Analysis of 3,776 pediatric inguinal hernia and hydrocele cases in a tertiary center.
OBJECTIVE
This study describes the pediatric inguinal hernia and hydrocele experience of a tertiary care training hospital.


METHODS
A total of 3776 patients who had been operated between January 2005 and June 2009 for inguinal hernia, cord hydrocele, and hydrocele were included. The surgeries and patient follow-up were performed by 6 pediatric surgery specialists and 8 pediatric surgery residents.


RESULTS
The patient age varied from 6 days to 17 years. There were 2959 (78.4%) males and 817 (21.6%) females (ratio: 3.6:1). The hernia was on the right in 2306 (61.1%) patients, on the left in 1111 (29.4%) patients, and bilateral in 359 (9.5%) patients. Age at presentation was younger in males (p<.001). Contralateral hernia repair was required later on during follow-up in 2% of the patients. Postoperative complications developed in 1.2% of the patients. Reoperation was needed because of wound infection in 0.6%, recurrence in 0.4%, hematoma in 0.1%, testicular atrophy in 1 patient, and acquired undescended testis in 1 patient.


CONCLUSIONS
The age of first hernia symptoms was younger in males compared to females and in premature babies compared to term babies (p<.05). The recurrent hernia rate was higher in infancy. The complication rate was higher in hernia surgery in the newborn period and in cases of incarcerated hernia compared to the overall rate (p<.05). There was no indication for contralateral routine exploration.
Dr Sami Ulus Maternity and Children's Research and Training Hospital - Pediatric Surgery Department, Ankara, Turkey. deryaerdo@yahoo.com
Derya
D
Erdoğan
Ibrahim
I
Karaman
Mustafa Kemal
MK
Aslan
Ayşe
A
Karaman
Yusuf Hakan
YH
Cavuşoğlu
D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D001284:Atrophy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000453:epidemiology; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D059685:Herniorrhaphy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006771:Hospitals, Maternity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007511:Ischemia / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D019106:Postoperative Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D012086:Reoperation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006848:Testicular Hydrocele / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D013737:Testis / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
Children; Inguinal hernia