Hernioplasty with and without mesh: analysis of the immediate complications in a randomized controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND Inguinal hernia repair is the most common procedure in general surgery and 80,000 operations are performed annually in Great Britain, 100,000 in France and 700,000 in the US. Given its high frequency has a major impact, both in the medical and economic aspects. AIM Analyze the immediate postoperative complications comparing mesh versus non mesh hernioplasty. METHOD Randomized control trial, with the enrollment of 263 patients underwent surgery for inguinal hernia randomized by randomization table. Treatment (mesh, Lichtenstein or without mesh, Bassini technique) was assigned using sequentially numbered opaque envelopes having fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The variables analyzed were: postoperative pain, seroma, hematoma, infection, return to normal activities and recurrence. RESULTS The mean age was 55.5 years, 88% patients were male and 12% female. The pain was higher in patients operated with mesh. CONCLUSIONS The inguinal hernia repair mesh group had less immediate postoperative complications and significantly earlier return to work than hernioplasty without mesh, this being one of the most important conclusions.