Value and patient appreciation of follow-up after endoscopic totally extraperitoneal (TEP) inguinal hernia repair.

PURPOSE: There is some consensus on inguinal hernia surgery follow-up in research settings. However, consensus on regular follow-up is lacking. Therefore, patients and surgeons are unnecessarily burdened and not cost-efficient. Moreover, the purpose of follow-up is barely questioned. This study aims to evaluate follow-up after inguinal hernia repair and determine patient satisfaction. METHODS: This prospective cohort study was executed in a high-volume specialized hernia clinic. All totally extraperitoneal (TEP) repair patients between July and October 2016 were included. Telephone follow-up was performed at 1 day, 6 weeks and 1 year postoperatively. One year postoperatively it was assessed whether patients visited other healthcare organizations, had remaining inguinal complaints, a Post-INguinal-repair-Questionnaire by telephone (PINQ-PHONE) was executed, and appreciation with follow-up was determined. RESULTS: Respectively, 6 weeks and 1 year postoperatively, 138 (79.3%) and 130 (74.7%) of 174 included patients were reached. One year postoperatively 15 patients (11.5%) had remaining inguinal complaints, of which only four patients (3.1%) had not already reported their symptoms. Nineteen patients (14.6%) presented with self-reported complaints between 6 weeks and 1 year, and no patients went to other hospitals. Respectively, 107 (82.3%), 61 (46.9%) and 117 (90.0%) patients considered follow-up useful at 6 weeks, 1 year and in general. One hundred nineteen patients (91.5%) preferred telephone follow-up to outpatient clinic appointments. CONCLUSION: TEP patients value a telephone follow-up time-point, however, long-term follow-up is not considered useful. Patients report postoperative complaints themselves, therefore performing follow-up serves no clinical purpose. The purpose of follow-up is patient satisfaction and registration for quality objectives.

Recurrence after totally extraperitoneal (TEP) inguinal hernia repair: the role of physical examination and ultrasound.

PURPOSE: Physical examination (PE) combined with ultrasound (US) is recommended to confirm a recurrent hernia. However, the evidence is rather weak. The aim of this study was to evaluate PE and appraise the added value of US in alleged recurrent inguinal hernias after totally extraperitoneal (TEP) inguinal hernia repair. METHODS: All adult patients who were re-operated for suspicion of a recurrent hernia after a primary unilateral or bilateral TEP between 2006 and 2017 were identified and investigated retrospectively. Patient characteristics, PE, additional imaging and intra-operative findings were registered. PE outcomes were compared with intra-operative findings to calculate the positive predictive value (PPV) of PE. In case of clinical doubt, the added value of US was evaluated by comparing US findings with the intra-operative findings. RESULTS: A total of 130 patients were re-operated for suspicion of 137 recurrent hernias. In 75 patients, US was performed. PE was positive for an inguinal hernia in 101 groins (73.7%), negative in 30 (21.9%) and inconclusive in 6 (4.4%). PE matched the operative findings in 75.2%. The PPV of diagnosing a recurrent hernia (or lipoma) on PE was 97%. In case of clinical doubt (n = 36), positive US matched the operative findings in 20 cases (87.0%). CONCLUSION: US does not necessarily need to be incorporated in the standard diagnostic workup of a recurrent inguinal hernia. After PE alone, a recurrent hernia (or lipoma) can be diagnosed with a PPV of 97%. Only in case of clinical doubt, US has additional value.

Is young age a risk factor for chronic postoperative inguinal pain after endoscopic totally extraperitoneal (TEP) repair?

PURPOSE: A generally known risk factor for developing chronic postoperative inguinal pain after inguinal hernia repair is young age. However, studies discussing young age as a risk factor are mainly based on open repairs. The aim of this study was to determine if young adults (age 18-30) are also more prone to experience chronic postoperative inguinal pain after totally extraperitoneal (TEP) inguinal hernia repair, compared to older adults (age ≥ 31). METHODS: A prospective study was conducted in a high-volume TEP hernia clinic in 919 patients. Patients were assessed using the Numeric (Pain) Rating Scale, Inguinal Pain Questionnaire and Carolina Comfort Scale preoperatively, at 3 months, 1 year and 2 years after TEP mesh repair. The primary outcome was clinically relevant pain in young adults compared to older adults at 3 months follow-up. Secondary outcomes were pain 1 and 2 years postoperatively, the impact of pain on daily living, foreign body feeling and testicular pain. Furthermore, age categories were analyzed to determine potential age-dependent risk factors. RESULTS: Follow-up was completed in 867 patients. No significant difference was found between young adults and older adults for clinically relevant pain at 3 months follow-up (p = 0.723). At all follow-up time points, no significant differences were found for clinically relevant pain, any pain, mean pain scores, the Inguinal Pain Questionnaire and the Carolina Comfort Scale. The subgroup analyses showed no age-dependent risk factor. CONCLUSIONS: Young age is not associated with a higher risk of chronic postoperative inguinal pain after endoscopic TEP hernia repair.

An 11-year analysis of reoperated groins after endoscopic totally extraperitoneal (TEP) inguinal hernia repair in a high volume hernia center.

BACKGROUND: Developments in inguinal hernia surgery have substantially lowered recurrence rates, yet recurrences remain an important outcome parameter of inguinal hernia repair. The aim of this study was to analyze the characteristics of all reoperated groins after endoscopic totally extraperitoneal (TEP) inguinal hernia repair in a high-volume hernia clinic in the Netherlands. METHODS: All groins with recurrence-like symptoms reoperated after previous TEP inguinal hernia repair between January 2006 and December 2016 were analyzed. Patient characteristics, imaging findings, primary hernia type, time to recurrence and recurrence type were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 137 groins were reoperated in 130 patients. The median age at the TEP procedure was 55 years [interquartile range (IQR) 45-64 years]. Fifty-seven groins were initially part of a bilateral procedure (42%). Median time until recurrence was 9 months (IQR 4-26 months). Reoperation findings were a hernia recurrence in 76%, an isolated lipoma in 18%, and no recurrence or lipoma in 6%. The majority of hernias recurred at their initial site (70%), of which the greatest part involved direct hernias. Isolated lipomas were more frequently seen after indirect hernia repair. CONCLUSIONS: Inguinal hernia recurrences were still observed in this high-volume hernia clinic. Recurrences were most frequently seen at their initial hernia site, the majority involving direct hernias. Isolated lipomas presenting as a pseudorecurrence were most frequently seen after correction of indirect hernias. In accordance with the current guidelines, reducing recurrence rates can be achieved by mesh fixation in bilateral, large and direct defects and by thoroughly reducing lipomas.

[Inguinal hernia repair: bringing order to variety]. / Liesbreukchirurgie: orde in verscheidenheid.

- With around 30,000 interventions a year, correction of an inguinal hernia is one of the most commonly performed surgeries in the Netherlands. One would therefore expect the same technique to be used all over the world by now. There are nevertheless different procedures, depending on a patient's age and history, the type of inguinal hernia and the expertise of the surgeon.- When the pathophysiology of an inguinal hernia became clear at the end of the 19th century, Bassini laid the foundation of modern inguinal hernia surgery: reinforcing the posterior wall of the inguinal canal after repositioning the hernial sac with its contents.- Although current surgical treatment still follows this principle, there are now many different techniques for this. Some are named after the 'inventor' of such an operation (Shouldice, Lichtenstein and Stoppa) while others are indicated with an abbreviation (TEP, TAPP, TIPP and TREPP).- In this review article, we describe the surgical techniques currently most common in the Netherlands and bring order to the chaos of proper names and abbreviations.