Right Meralgia Paresthetica After a Laparoscopic ProGrip™ Bilateral Implant for Inguinal Hernia Repair: A Case Report

Meralgia paresthetica is a neuropathic condition generally secondary to extrinsic compression on the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve. Intense local pain is the chief presenting symptom, diagnosis is based on clinical grounds, and the disease is responsive to the removal of the causal agent and antineuralgic medication. We report the case of a 67-year-old male patient who had a ProGrip™ (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA) (a self-fixating mesh) implanted through laparoscopy after a robotic bilateral inguinal hernia repair. The next day, the patient complained of numbness in the anterolateral aspect of the right thigh along with intolerable stabbing pain. Meralgia paresthetica was diagnosed based on a positive Tinel sign, followed by symptomatic relief after corticosteroids + lidocaine injection. The manifestation was attributed to ProGrip™, and the device was removed. Pain was controlled after discharge with oral pregabalin plus cyclobenzaprine. In a retrospective analysis, no classical risk factors of meralgia paresthetica (e.g., obesity, tight belts, or former local procedures) were identified for the patient under discussion. The authors could not find any similar case in medical literature.