Neurophysiological and Clinical Effects of Laparoscopic Retroperitoneal Triple Neurectomy in Patients with Refractory Postherniorrhaphy Neuropathic Inguinodynia.

BACKGROUND: Chronic postherniorrhaphy inguinal pain (CPIP) is a complex, major health problem. In the absence of recurrence or meshoma, laparoscopic retroperitoneal triple neurectomy (LRTN) has emerged as an effective surgical treatment of CPIP. METHODS: This prospective pilot study evaluated the neurophysiological and clinical effects of LRTN. Ten consecutive adult CPIP patients with unilateral predominantly neuropathic inguinodynia underwent three comprehensive quantitative sensory testing (QST) assessments (preoperative, immediate postoperative, and late postoperative). Pain severity, health-related function, and sleep quality were assessed over the course of a 6-month follow-up period. RESULTS: QST revealed marked increases in mechanical, pressure, thermal, and pain thresholds in the areas with maximum pain prior to LRTN surgery for the immediate (P < 0.01; mean 160.9 minutes, range 103 to 255 minutes after extubation) and late postoperative (P < 0.05; mean 27.9 days, range 14 to 78 days after surgery) assessments compared to baseline. Wind-up phenomena were eliminated postoperatively. LRTN provided robust group-level improvements of all clinical measures. No preoperative QST variables were found to be predictive of surgical outcomes. The positive change in heat pain threshold (preoperative compared to late postoperative) showed significant positive correlations with improvements of pain scores and function. CONCLUSIONS: LRTN may produce immediate, profound, and consistent positive effects across multiple mechanical, pressure, and thermal QST variables, and marked improvements of clinical outcomes in selected CPIP patients. These data contribute to the understanding of mechanisms involved in the success of LRTN. Large, high-powered studies are warranted to determine whether preoperative or repeated longitudinal QST may guide patient selection and predict effectiveness of LRTN.

Efficacy of retroperitoneal triple neurectomy for refractory neuropathic inguinodynia.

BACKGROUND: Refractory neuropathic inguinodynia following inguinal herniorrhaphy is a common and debilitating complication. This prospective study evaluated long-term outcomes associated with laparoscopic retroperitoneal triple neurectomy. METHODS: Sixty-two consecutive patients (51 male; mean age, 47); all failing pain management; prior reoperation in 35, prior neurectomy in 26; average follow-up 681 days (range: 90 days to 3 years). Measured outcomes include numeric pain ratings, dermatomal mapping, histologic confirmation, quantitative sensory testing, complications, narcotic usage, and activity level. RESULTS: Mean numerical pain scores were significantly decreased (baseline, 8.6) at all postoperative time points (POD 1, 3.6; P < .001: POD 90, 2.3, P < .001) with durable efficacy from POD 90 to 3 years (P < .001). Quantitative sensory testing showed marked group-level increases of sensory thresholds. Narcotic dependence decreased in 57/62 and was eliminated in 44/62 and activity level improved in 58/62. CONCLUSIONS: Retroperitoneal triple neurectomy is an effective and durable treatment for refractory neuropathic inguinodynia.

Pain control following inguinal herniorrhaphy: current perspectives.

Inguinal hernia repair is one of the most common surgeries performed worldwide. With the success of modern hernia repair techniques, recurrence rates have significantly declined, with a lower incidence than the development of chronic postherniorrhaphy inguinal pain (CPIP). The avoidance of CPIP is arguably the most important clinical outcome and has the greatest impact on patient satisfaction, health care utilization, societal cost, and quality of life. The etiology of CPIP is multifactorial, with overlapping neuropathic and nociceptive components contributing to this complex syndrome. Treatment is often challenging, and no definitive treatment algorithm exists. Multidisciplinary management of this complex problem improves outcomes, as treatment must be individualized. Current medical, pharmacologic, interventional, and surgical management strategies are reviewed.

Operative management of refractory neuropathic inguinodynia by a laparoscopic retroperitoneal approach.

IMPORTANCE: With the technical success of tension-free inguinal herniorrhaphy, chronic groin pain has far surpassed recurrence as the most common long-term complication. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate laparoscopic triple neurectomy of the ilioinguinal, iliohypogastric, and genitofemoral nerve trunks in the retroperitoneal lumbar plexus for treatment of refractory inguinodynia. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: University hernia center. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty consecutive patients with chronic inguinodynia (14 male; mean age, 46 years; all failing pain management; prior neurectomy in 4 patients) and follow-up to 180 days (minimum, 90 days). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Groin pain (Numeric Rating Scale score), dermatomal mapping, hernia recurrence, histologic confirmation, and complications. RESULTS: There were no intraoperative complications. All patients had histologic confirmation of neurectomy and clinical confirmation with dermatomal mapping. Mean numeric pain scores were significantly decreased (baseline score, 7.8) on postoperative days 1 (score, 2.9; P < .001), 7 (score, 2.2; P < .001), 30 (score, 1.7; P < .001), and 90 (score, 1.9; P < .001). Narcotic dependence decreased and activity level increased. Five patients reported transient hypersensitivity consistent with deafferentation. All had numbness in the distribution of neurectomy without complaint. Four had residual meshoma pain, with 2 undergoing subsequent reoperation to remove mesh. Orchialgia was not improved. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This represents the largest series of laparoscopic retroperitoneal triple neurectomies for treatment of inguinodynia. The rate of successful intervention was better than reported for standard triple neurectomy and open extended triple neurectomy. The procedure allows access proximal to all potential sites of peripheral neuropathy and overcomes many of the limitations of open triple neurectomy. In the absence of recurrence or meshoma, it is the preferred technique for definitive management of chronic inguinal neuralgia.

Surgical treatment of chronic groin and testicular pain after laparoscopic and open preperitoneal inguinal hernia repair.

BACKGROUND: Standard triple neurectomy does not address inguinodynia secondary to neuropathy of the genitofemoral nerve and the preperitoneal segment of its genital branch seen after inguinal hernia repair performed laparoscopically or in open preperitoneal fashion. STUDY DESIGN: Standard triple neurectomy was extended to include the genitofemoral nerve. Sixteen patients with chronic groin pain after laparoscopic and open preperitoneal inguinal hernia repair underwent operative triple neurectomy, with resection of the main trunk of the genitofemoral nerve in the retroperitoneum over the psoas muscle. All patients had previously undergone unsuccessful extensive nonsurgical pain management. RESULTS: Fourteen of 16 patients had significant improvement of their pain, as evidenced by a decrease in subjectively reported postoperative pain levels as compared with their preoperative baseline, a decrease or complete elimination of daily narcotic dependence, and return to baseline activities of daily living and work. One of the nonresponder patients underwent a previous open prostatectomy, and exposure of the genitofemoral nerve was not possible due to scarring from the prostatectomy. The other nonresponder patient continues to experience subjective pain equivalent to preoperative levels due to the sensation of firmness and incisional pain that arose in the setting of a postoperative wound infection. He does, however, report that his pain is of different character and quality from his preneurectomy pain and is primarily centered around the incision. His follow-up has not been long enough to determine if his symptoms will improve as his incision and scar remodel. CONCLUSIONS: Extension of the standard triple neurectomy to include the genitofemoral nerve for treatment of inguinodynia after open and laparoscopic preperitoneal mesh repair is a safe and effective procedure.

Groin hernia repair: open techniques.

Since the introduction of the Bassini method in 1887, more than 70 types of pure tissue repair have been reported in the surgical literature. An unacceptable recurrence rate and prolonged postoperative pain and recovery time after tissue repair along with our understanding of the metabolic origin of inguinal hernias led to the concept of tension-free hernioplasty with mesh. Currently, the main categories of inguinal hernia repair are the open repairs and the laparoscopic repairs. In the open category, repair of the hernia is achieved by pure tissue approximation or by tension-free mesh repair. The most commonly performed tissue repairs are those of Bassini, Shouldice, and to a lesser extent McVay. In the tension-free mesh repair category, the mesh is placed in front of the transversalis fascia, such as with the Lichtenstein tension-free hernioplasty, or behind the transversalis fascia in the preperitoneal space, such as during the Nyhus, Rives, Read, Stoppa, Wantz, and Kugel procedures. Numerous comparative randomized trials have clearly demonstrated the superiority of the tension-free mesh repair over the traditional tissue approximation method. Placing mesh behind the transversalis fascia, although a sound concept, requires extensive dissection in the highly complex preperitoneal space and can lead to injury of the pelvic structures, major hematoma formation, or both. In addition, according to the prospective randomized comparative study of mesh placement in front of versus behind the transversalis fascia, the latter offers no advantage over the former, and it is more difficult to perform, learn, and teach. More importantly, preperitoneal mesh implantation (via open and laparoscopic procedure) leads to obliteration of the spaces of Retzius and Bogros, making certain vascular and urologic procedures, in particular radical prostatectomy and lymph node dissection, extremely difficult if not impossible. In conclusion, according to level A evidence from randomized comparative studies, (1) mesh repair is superior to pure tissue approximation repairs, and (2) mesh implantation in front of the transversalis fascia is superior, safer, and easier than open or laparoscopic mesh implantation behind the transversalis fascia.

Lichtenstein tension-free hernioplasty: its inception, evolution, and principles.

To circumvent the degenerative nature of inguinal hernias and adverse effect of suture line tension, the Lichtenstein tension-free hernioplasty began in 1984 and evolved (between 1984 and 1988) to a procedure that is now considered the gold standard of hernia repair by the American College of Surgeons. The objective of this paper is to outline the reasons behind the minor changes made during the short, 4-year evolution of the technique, describe the key principles of the operation, and introduce a new mesh that, if elected to be used, automatically satisfies all the key principles of the procedure and guides the surgeon to perform the operation correctly. The worldwide reported result of the operation by experts and nonexperts alike is a recurrence and complication rate of less than 1%. When the key principles of the procedure, which, as reported by many authors, are easy to learn, perform, and teach, are respected, the operation results in an effectiveness (external validation) that is virtually the same as its efficacy (results of the experts), attesting to the simplicity of the procedure.