The incidence of spermatic cord structures in inguinal hernia sacs from male children

Inguinal herniorrhaphy is a common surgical procedure in children. Controversy exists regarding the usefulness of microscopic examination of hernia sacs, and changes in reimbursement schemes have heightened this controversy. We summarize our experience with histologic examination of these specimens to establish benchmarks for the number of spermatic cord structures in inguinal hernia sacs from male children. A 14 1/2 consecutive calendar year review of pathology reports and histologic sections of hernia sacs was conducted at a tertiary care children's hospital. Of 7,314 males (range newborn to 19 years old), 65% had bilateral and 29% had unilateral herniorrhaphy (6% unknown). Seventeen cases contained vas deferens (0.23%); 22 had epididymis (0.30%); and 30 had embryonal rests (0.41%). Either vas deferens or epididymis was found in 0.53% of patients. No cases contained bilateral vas deferens, bilateral epididymis, or vas deferens in one side with epididymis in the contralateral side. Three hernia sacs contained co-existing vas deferens and epididymis. Our study helps to provide surgeons with information for preoperative counseling regarding potential injury to the vas deferens or epididymis. This study provides baseline comparison data for quality improvement programs. We believe that each institution should weigh the costs, risks, and benefits of performing microscopic examinations on hernia sacs, depending on their own experience and data.