title: Inguinal herniotomy with the Mitchell-Banks' technique is safe in older children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is a tendency for the majority of surgeons to open the inguinal canal in children over two years old when performing inguinal hernia repair. On the other hand, in small children, most surgeons perform the herniotomy superficially to the external ring, as in Mitchell-Banks' technique (MBT). Our aim was to compare the Ferguson hernioplasty (FH) and Mitchell-Banks' technique in terms of recurrence and complication rates in older children.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed the office medical records of children who were at least two years old and who underwent a herniotomy procedure for inguinal hernia between 1997 and 2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 4520 inguinal herniotomy procedures in boys who were over two years old were included in this study. Of these cases, 1607 cases (40.2%) were operated on by a FH with opening the inguinal canal, and 2388 cases (59.8%) by MBT superficially to the external ring. The median ages were 5.1 years (range, 2.0-16.2) in the FH group and 4.6 years (2.0-14.6) in the MBT group. The total complication rates were 2.3% in the FH group and 2.9% in the MBT group (P>.05). Early complications such as wound infection, scrotal edema, and hematoma were seen in 13 (0.8%), 15 (1%), and 10 (0.6%) in the FH group, and 12 (0.5%), 18 (0.7%), and 15 (0.6%) in the MBT group, respectively (P>.05). Late complications such as recurrence, trapped undescended testis, and testicular atrophy were seen in 2 (0.12%), 1 (0.06%), and 2 (0.12%) in the FH group, and 3 (0.12%), 1 (0.04%), and 2 (0.08%) in the MBT group (P>.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Mitchell-Banks technique is a simple and safe procedure in older boys.
authors: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Izmir University, Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey. Electronic address: eturk19@yahoo.de.
authors: Erdal
authors: E
authors: Türk
authors: Denizli State Hospital, Clinics of Pediatric Surgery, 20100, Denizli, Turkey.
authors: Mehmet Erdal
authors: ME
authors: Memetoglu
authors: Denizli State Hospital, Clinics of Pediatric Surgery, 20100, Denizli, Turkey.
authors: Yesim
authors: Y
authors: Edirne
authors: Denizli State Hospital, Clinics of Pediatric Surgery, 20100, Denizli, Turkey.
authors: Fahri
authors: F
authors: Karaca
authors: Aydin State Hospital, Clinics of Pediatric Surgery, 09000, Aydin, Turkey.
authors: Cezmi
authors: C
authors: Saday
authors: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Gulhane Military Medical Faculty, Etlik, 06018, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Ahmet
authors: A
authors: Güven
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001284:Atrophy / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000209:etiology; D004487:Edema / Q000209:etiology; D006406:Hematoma / Q000209:etiology; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000601:surgery*; D059685:Herniorrhaphy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012611:Scrotum / Q000473:pathology; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology; D006848:Testicular Hydrocele / Q000209:etiology
keywords: Complication; High ligation; Indirect inguinal hernia; Mitchell-Banks technique