Risk of bowel resection in incarcerated inguinal hernia: watch out for ASA score and hernia type.

PURPOSE: Incarcerated inguinal hernias can promote bowel ischemia. Emergent bowel resection is associated with increased postoperative morbidity. Risk factors for bowel resection might identify patients who benefit from elective inguinal hernia repair. METHODS: Sixty-five consecutive patients undergoing emergency inguinal hernia repair between 2012 and 2018 at our institution were entered in a prospective database. Data analysis was approved by the local ethics committee. Patient characteristics, surgery data, and postoperative outcomes were compared between patients with and without bowel resection. Risk factors for bowel resection were assessed with univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Patients requiring bowel resection were more often female (87%, P = 0.004) and presented in 67% with a femoral hernia. Postoperative complications occurred more often after hernia reduction and bowel resection compared to no resection (67% vs. 36%, P = 0.035). ASA score 3-4 and femoral herniation were independent predictors of bowel resection (P = 0,046 and P = 0,047, respectively). CONCLUSION: Highly comorbid patients can profit from early elective hernia repair to prevent bowel resection.

Randomised, quadruple blinded, placebo controlled, multicentre trial investigating prophylactic tamsulosin in prevention of postoperative urinary retention in men after endoscopic total extraperitoneal inguinal hernia repair (STOP-POUR trial): a study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Postoperative urinary retention (POUR) is a common complication after inguinal hernia repair with a reported incidence up to 34%. It can be described as the inability to initiate urination or insufficient bladder emptying following surgery. It usually requires the use of catheterisation to empty the bladder in order to prevent further injury to the bladder or kidneys and to relief from pain. Tamsulosin is a medication that is commonly used in men with urinary symptoms related to an enlarged prostate. There is some evidence to suggest that it may also potentially be beneficial for preventing POUR. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a multicentre, blinded, prospective, phase IV randomised controlled trial with parallel allocation. Six hundred and thirty-four patients scheduled for elective endoscopic inguinal hernia repair surgery will be recruited. There will be effective (concealed) randomisation of the subjects to the intervention/control groups. Group assignment will be performed using a covariate-adaptive allocation procedure to provide a balance for selected covariates. The interventional group receives 0.4 mg tamsulosin hydrochloride and the control-group receives one placebo capsule matching the active study drug, both daily, starting from 5 days prior to the day of surgery, at the day of surgery and for 1 day following surgery. The primary outcome is any need for urinary catheterisation postoperatively as a binary outcome. Secondary outcome measures include postoperative pain, change in International Prostate Symptom Score from baseline prior to surgery to after surgery and hospital stay. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study has been approved by the Northwestern and Central Switzerland Ethics Committee (2020-00569) and it is being conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and Good Clinical Practice. Study results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and national and international scientific conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBERS: SNCTP000003904. NCT04491526.