[Postoperative pain in inguinal hernioplasty: does it exist?]

Tension-free hernioplasty in the Day Hospital or Short Stay Surgery setting is now considered the gold standard for hernia treatment, but early discharge is not synonymous with a rapid recovery, and pain in the inguinal region may persist for months after the operation. The authors examined 100 tension-free hernioplasties, performed in 1999. 72 Lichtenstein and 28 Trabucco hernioplasties were performed in 97 men and 3 women (min age 18 yrs., max. 90 yrs., mean 55 yrs.). Three months after hernioplasty residual inguinal pain was present in 10 patients (mild in 9, moderate in 1). Hypo-dysaesthesia in the inguino-crural region was also present in 8 patients (mild in 7, moderate in 1). Operative technique, emergency surgery and the surgeon himself were not correlated with results; occupational status was significantly associated with residual pain, which affected active workers more than retired patients.