Prosthetic Mesh Repair for Incarcerated Inguinal Hernia

Area of Science:

• Surgical Innovation
• Hernia Repair Techniques
• Biomaterials in Surgery

Background:

• Incarcerated inguinal hernia is a common surgical emergency.
• Mesh use in strangulated hernia repair is debated due to infection risks.
• Biomaterials are increasingly suitable for urgent hernia repair.

Purpose of the Study:

• Compare outcomes of different surgical techniques for strangulated hernias.
• Evaluate the impact of mesh use on postoperative complications.
• Assess mesh safety in incarcerated inguinal hernia repair, including cases with bowel resection.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cross-sectional study of 151 patients with incarcerated inguinal hernia.
• Patients divided into mesh repair (Group 1, n=112) and tissue repair (Group 2, n=39) groups.
• Group 1 further divided into those with (Group 3) and without (Group 4) bowel resection.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in wound infection, hematoma, seroma, or relapse rates between mesh and tissue repair groups (p>0.05).
• No significant differences in complication rates between patients undergoing bowel resection with mesh repair (Group 3) versus those without (Group 4).
• Specific complication rates: Group 1 (7.14% infection, 1.78% hematoma, 3.57% seroma, 0.89% relapse); Group 2 (2.56% infection, 7.69% hematoma, 2.56% seroma, 0% relapse).

Conclusions:

• Polypropylene mesh is safe for urgent groin hernia repair.
• Mesh repair can be safely employed even in patients requiring bowel resection.
• The study supports the use of mesh in complex incarcerated inguinal hernia cases.