Light vs heavy weight mesh in Lichtenstein’s open inguinal hernia repair: A prospective study

Abstract

Introduction: Hernia repair has been an ever evolving field of surgery. Newer modalities of treatment are being developed, with mesh repair becoming the cornerstone of management of hernia. As mesh related complications have increased in the last decade, there has been an evolution in the type of meshes being used. The aim of our study was to compare light weight mesh and heavy weight mesh in Lichtenstein tension free open inguinal repair. Methodology: A prospective study of 100 patients undergoing open inguinal mesh repair in Victoria Hospital, Bangalore, was conducted from August 2016 to March 2018. 50 patients received heavy weight mesh (HWM) and the rest 50, light weight mesh (LWM), after randomization. They were evaluated on post-operative day 7 for examination of wound, post-operative pain and with USG for seroma formation. Patients were reviewed again after 1 st and 6 th month for chronic pain and recurrence. Results: Out of the 100 patients, 52 required 2 days of hospital stay out of which 61.5% were with HWM. At 1 week, all the patients had seroma formation (USG) but clinically significant seroma formation seen in 25 patients. Of this, 10 patients belong to LWM and 15 patients to HWM group. At 6 months, 13 patients had chronic pain and 10 belonged to HWM group. No recurrences reported. Conclusions: LMW and HMW for inguinal hernia repair had similar outcomes with a non-significant trend favouring LWM in terms of decreased seroma formation and lesser incidence of chronic pain at the end of 6 months. However, these results would be required to be validated in larger studies.