The Shouldice herniorrhaphy in the treatment of inguinal hernias: a prospective study on 775 patients.

The authors present a study of 775 patients who underwent a Shouldice herniorrhaphy between 1987 and 2000, as performed by one surgeon. Average patient age was 52 years, and 93% of patients were male. Local anesthesia with sedation was used in 643 cases (83%) and regional anesthesia in 13%. The length of the incision was 9.5 cm. The average duration of surgery was 57.5 min (40-75). Tolerance to local anesthesia with sedation was 93%, a similar percentage to that of general anesthesia. The most significant postoperative complications were: urinary retention 8%, headache 7%, and ecchymosis 6%. Hospitalization time in 76% of the cases was 1 day, while 20% of interventions were undertaken on an outpatient basis. The average absence from work was 20 days. The recurrence rate at 7 years was 2%.