Recovery of sexual function after scrotal hernia repair

Most of the patients with scrotal hernia have sexual dysfunction to some extent. Therefore, we investigated the recovery of sexual function after scrotal hernia repair by using an internationally approved, patient-administered questionnaire.

In a prospective follow-up study, 34 patients with scrotal hernia were investigated to assess sexual function before and 3 months after hernia repair by using the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire. The mean scores obtained on pre- and postoperative visits for all domains of sexual function were analyzed and compared with the Wilcoxon test. Hernia repair was performed by using a standardized Lichtenstein technique.

The total mean score of the IIEF-15 was 52.08 before surgery and 56.20 after the procedure, with this difference considered statistically significant (P < .001). Eighty-five percent of the patients improved their scores versus 9% and 6% who showed worsening or no change at all in IIEF scores after surgery, respectively. All of the 5 sexual function domains except the orgasm domain presented statistically significant improvement.

This study showed that scrotal hernia repair caused a positive impact on sexual function after surgery. There was no case of surgery-related erectile dysfunction. Therefore, one of the major indications to repair large scrotal hernias may be to improve the quality of sexual life.