BACKGROUND: Chronic groin pain is defined as pain arising 3-6 months after inguinal hernia repair that can compromise the patient's quality of life. Many articles in the literature report clinical presentation, but there are no well-defined indications and protocols of treatment. METHODS: Forty-six patients underwent surgical treatment for chronic groin pain that consisted of a simultaneous double approach, anterior and posterior, to the inguinal region, with 44 triple neurectomies and 2 iliohypogastric neurectomies. Ilio-inguinal and ilio-hypogastric nerves were resected by anterior approach, while genitofemoral trunk was resected by a posterior pre-peritoneal approach. Mesh was removed in 24 cases, and mesh and plug were removed in 16 cases. A new mesh repair was performed in 42 cases. All the patients were examined 1 week, 1 month and 1 year postoperatively. RESULTS: In 40 patients, the surgical treatment has obtained good response with improvement or complete resolution of the pain. Two patients referred persistent groin pain different from preoperative and in 4 cases the pain persisted without substantial benefit. Mean VAS value was 7.89 before surgery and 1.89 after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Choice of the adequate therapy of chronic groin pain after inguinal hernia repair is still controversial. Our surgical approach turned out to be a safe and effective procedure. In this way, an accurate exploration of the whole inguinal region can be performed along with the identification of the nerves involved. Anyway in a certain number of cases, the resolution of pain cannot be achieved; this suggests a possible involvement of differences in the single personality and tolerances of pain in the different patients.
BACKGROUND: Chronic groin pain is defined as pain arising 3-6 months after inguinal hernia repair that can compromise the patient's quality of life. Many articles in the literature report clinical presentation, but there are no well-defined indications and protocols of treatment. METHODS: Forty-six patients underwent surgical treatment for chronic groin pain that consisted of a simultaneous double approach, anterior and posterior, to the inguinal region, with 44 triple neurectomies and 2 iliohypogastric neurectomies. Ilio-inguinal and ilio-hypogastric nerves were resected by anterior approach, while genitofemoral trunk was resected by a posterior pre-peritoneal approach. Mesh was removed in 24 cases, and mesh and plug were removed in 16 cases. A new mesh repair was performed in 42 cases. All the patients were examined 1 week, 1 month and 1 year postoperatively. RESULTS: In 40 patients, the surgical treatment has obtained good response with improvement or complete resolution of the pain. Two patients referred persistent groin pain different from preoperative and in 4 cases the pain persisted without substantial benefit. Mean VAS value was 7.89 before surgery and 1.89 after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Choice of the adequate therapy of chronic groin pain after inguinal hernia repair is still controversial. Our surgical approach turned out to be a safe and effective procedure. In this way, an accurate exploration of the whole inguinal region can be performed along with the identification of the nerves involved. Anyway in a certain number of cases, the resolution of pain cannot be achieved; this suggests a possible involvement of differences in the single personality and tolerances of pain in the different patients.
Authors: M P Simons; T Aufenacker; M Bay-Nielsen; J L Bouillot; G Campanelli; J Conze; D de Lange; R Fortelny; T Heikkinen; A Kingsnorth; J Kukleta; S Morales-Conde; P Nordin; V Schumpelick; S Smedberg; M Smietanski; G Weber; M Miserez Journal: Hernia Date: 2009-07-28 Impact factor: 4.739
Authors: Amudha S Poobalan; Julie Bruce; W Cairns S Smith; Peter M King; Zygmunt H Krukowski; W Alastair Chambers Journal: Clin J Pain Date: 2003 Jan-Feb Impact factor: 3.442
Authors: Giuseppe Pappalardo; Fabrizio Maria Frattaroli; Massimo Mongardini; Pier Federico Salvi; Augusto Lombardi; Anna Maria Conte; Maria Felice Arezzo Journal: World J Surg Date: 2007-05 Impact factor: 3.352
Authors: Willem A R Zwaans; Christel W Perquin; Maarten J A Loos; Rudi M H Roumen; Marc R M Scheltinga Journal: World J Surg Date: 2017-03 Impact factor: 3.352