The risk of inguinal hernia repair after radical prostatectomy - a population-based cohort study

A nationwide population-based register study will evaluate the risk of postoperative inguinal hernia repair after primary curative-intent treatment of prostate carcinoma (PCa).

Several previous studies have suggested an increased risk of inguinal hernia repair after prostatectomy. Only a few studies have compared the risk by PCa treatment modalities.

Data were collected between the years 1998 and 2016 from the national hospital discharge database HILMO and between the years 1998 and 2015 from the Finnish cancer registry to identify all men with prostate cancer with data on primary treatment available and information on inguinal hernia diagnoses and procedures among them. The risk of inguinal hernia repair among men managed with prostatectomy was compared to those treated with radiation therapy. Participants treated with prostatectomy were analyzed as a whole and separately stratified into subgroups managed with mini-invasive or open surgery. Multivariate Cox regression with adjustment for age and comorbidities was used for analysis.

A total of 7207 cases of PCa were included in the study. 4595 men were treated with radical prostatectomy and 2612 with radiation therapy. Overall, the risk of hernia repair was higher among men treated with prostatectomy compared to men who received radiation therapy as the primary PCa treatment (HR 1.42, 95% CI 1.14-1.77). The risk did not differ markedly by the prostatectomy method.

Prostate cancer treatment with prostatectomy is associated with an increased risk of inguinal hernia surgery than external beam radiation therapy treatment. This risk should be taken into account when planning PCa treatment.