Hernia : the journal of hernias and abdominal wall surgery
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Identification and management of the ilio-inguinal and ilio-hypogastric nerves in open inguinal hernia repair: benefits of self-gripping mesh.
A large randomized, multicenter European study recently reported a reduction in early pain after open inguinal surgery when self-gripping mesh was used compared with sutured Lichtenstein repair. This secondary exploratory study is focused on the influence of nerve identification and handling on post-operative pain. ⋯ The ilio-hypogastric nerve is in danger of being traumatized during Lichtenstein mesh repair with suture fixation. The use of self-gripping mesh was shown to reduce the level of post-operative pain when the ilio-hypogastric nerve was preserved. Resection of the ilio-hypogastric nerve during Lichtenstein repair eliminates this difference.