RESUMO
PURPOSE: Chronic pain following inguinal hernia repair is a complex problem. Mesh fixation with sutures may be a contributing factor to this pain. The aim of this study was to compare the incidence of chronic pain and limitation of activities of daily living following inguinal hernia repair using a sutured mesh to a self-adhesive mesh, 6 months and 1 year following surgery. METHODS: All consecutive patients presenting to NHS Fife for open hernia repair between January 2009 and January 2010 were included in our analysis. A prospective survey of postoperative pain and activities of daily living was conducted at 6 months and 1 year following hernia repair. Chronic pain was assessed using the SF-36 questionnaire. The primary end points for analysis were incidence of chronic pain and limitation of activities of daily living. RESULTS: Overall, 132 of 215 patients completed the questionnaire, 69 in the sutured group and 63 in the self-adhesive mesh group. The need for analgesics was similar during the first 24 h after surgery. Wound infections were detected in one patient in the Lichtenstein group and two in the second group. The incidence of chronic pain was 21 and 7.9% at 6 months and 18.8 and 6.3% at 1 year (p < 0.05). Moderate and vigorous activities were found to be limited some to all of the time in nine patients (60%) in the suture fixation group and in one patient in the self-adhesive group (20%, p < 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Open inguinal hernia repair with a self-adhesive mesh may lead to less chronic pain and less restriction of activities of daily living than a sutured mesh fixation.
