Fade or fate. Seroma in laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative fluid collection in the space left behind the dissected hernia sac in laparoscopic herniorraphy puts the surgeon in a dilemma as to whether it is a recurrence or a seroma, and it is not always easily judged only by physical examination (PE). Another important issue is what kind of seroma can be accepted as a complication of surgery. METHODS: Thirty patients with unilateral inguinal hernia who had a hernia sac of >4 cm were operated on with transabdominal preperitoneal hernia repair (TAPP) technique and the collection at the hernia site was followed by PE and superficial ultrasonography (USG) postoperatively on the first day, first week, first month, and third month. RESULTS: USG detected seroma in 20 patients, while 17 could be noticed by PE on the first postoperative day. At the end of the third month, seromas resolved by 90%, and could only be detected by USG in two patients. Pain or complication rates attributable to seroma in patients were not determined (p > 0.05) in the statistical analyses between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Superficial USG is a beneficial tool in differentiating early recurrence or seroma in patients. It should not be intervened with as a complication until the patient has complaints attributable to seroma.