Related Experiment Videos
Comparison of polydioxanone (PDS) and polypropylene (Prolene) for Shouldice repair of primary inguinal hernias: a
R E Hilgert1, A Dörner, O Wittkugel
1Department of Surgery, Krankenhaus Alten Eichen, Teaching Hospital of Hamburg University, Germany.
Objective:
To compare the recurrence rates after Shouldice operation for primary inguinal hernias, using non-absorbable polypropylene or absorbable polydioxanone suture material.
Design:
Randomised, controlled trial.
Setting:
Teaching hospital, Germany.
Subjects:
220 male patients who had 233 elective Shouldice repairs of primary inguinal hernias, 201 of whom were followed up.
Intervention:
Standard Shouldice procedure with 2/0 polypropylene (Prolene, n = 98) or 2/0 polydioxanone (PDS, n = 103).
Main Outcome Measures:
Recurrence rates after a minimum follow-up of 24 months (range 24-48, mean 31).
Results:
Numbers of early complications were similar in the two groups; there were 2 wound infections in each. A total of 193 patients with 201 repairs had a documented follow-up (86%). There were 6 recurrences in the PDS group and 5 in the Prolene group, giving a total recurrence rate of 5%. This difference was not significant (Fisher's exact test, p = 1.0).
Conclusion:
Recurrence rates in both groups were higher than expected, but there was no difference between the two groups.