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Factors predicting chronic pain after open inguinal hernia repair: a regression analysis of randomized trial comparing three different meshes with three fixation methods (FinnMesh Study)

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A Correction to this article was published on 06 June 2018

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Abstract

Background

Chronic pain after inguinal hernioplasty is the foremost side-effect up to 10–30% of patients. Mesh fixation may influence on the incidence of chronic pain after open anterior mesh repairs.

Methods

Some 625 patients who underwent open anterior mesh repairs were randomized to receive one of the three meshes and fixations: cyanoacrylate glue with low-weight polypropylene mesh (n = 216), non-absorbable sutures with partially absorbable mesh (n = 207) or self-gripping polyesther mesh (n = 202). Factors related to chronic pain (visual analogue scores; VAS ≥ 30, range 0–100) at 1 year postoperatively were analyzed using logistic regression method. A second analysis using telephone interview and patient records was performed 2 years after the index surgery.

Results

At index operation, all patient characteristics were similar in the three study groups. After 1 year, chronic inguinal pain was found in 52 patients and after 2 years in only 16 patients with no difference between the study groups. During 2 years’ follow-up, three (0.48%) patients with recurrences and five (0.8%) patients with chronic pain were re-operated. Multivariate regression analysis indicated that only new recurrent hernias and high pain scores at day 7 were predictive factors for longstanding groin pain (p = 0.001). Type of mesh or fixation, gender, pre-operative VAS, age, body mass index or duration of operation did not predict chronic pain.

Conclusion

Only the presence of recurrent hernia and early severe pain after index operation seemed to predict longstanding inguinal pain.

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Change history

  • 06 June 2018

    In the original publication, co-authors affiliations were incorrect.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. North-Carelia Central Hospital, Tikkamäentie 12, 80210, Joensuu, Finland

    M. Matikainen, E. Aro, J. Vironen, J. Kössi, T. Hulmi, S. Silvasti, I. Ilves, M. Hertsi, K. Mustonen & H. Paajanen

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  1. M. Matikainen
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  2. E. Aro
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  3. J. Vironen
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  4. J. Kössi
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  5. T. Hulmi
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  6. S. Silvasti
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  7. I. Ilves
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  8. M. Hertsi
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  9. K. Mustonen
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  10. H. Paajanen
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Contributions

MM: Data gathering, analysis, writing of the paper. EA: Data gathering. JK: Clinical work (operations), data gathering, pre-review of the paper. II: clinical work, data gathering. TH: clinical work. SS: Clinical work. MH: clinical work, data gathering. KM: clinical work, data gathering. HP: clinical work, data gathering, pre-review of the paper, writing of the paper. JV: clinical work, data gathering, pre-review of the paper.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Matikainen.

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Conflict of interest

The author(s) declare that they have no competing interests.

Ethical approval

This study was accepted by ethical commitee of Kuopio University Hospital.

Human and animal rights

This study compared three well accepted and routinely used techniques to treat inguinal hernias. No human or animal rights were violated.

Informed consent

Informed consent has been collected from all the patients accepted in the study.

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Matikainen, M., Aro, E., Vironen, J. et al. Factors predicting chronic pain after open inguinal hernia repair: a regression analysis of randomized trial comparing three different meshes with three fixation methods (FinnMesh Study). Hernia 22, 813–818 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10029-018-1772-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10029-018-1772-6

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