[10 years' experience using a modified Shouldice surgical technic for inguinal hernia in adults. II. Which factors modify the recurrence of inguinal hernia?].

Many factors seem to influence the recurrence rate after adult inguinal hernia repair. A statistical analysis of data derived from 726 transversalis fascia repairs examined by the authors (with a follow-up rate of 82.5% and a mean follow-up time of 5.5 years) revealed a significantly higher recurrence rate in patients with chronic bronchitis (p less than 0.05) or with postoperative complications (p less than 0.001). Lower recurrence rates were found after resection of lipomas of the cord (p less than 0.01) or cremasteric muscle resection (p less than 0.05). No significant difference of recurrence rate could be established for following parameters: Sex, side, age distribution, profession, prostatism, obesity, type of hernia (direct, indirect, combined, sliding), suture material (silk, polyglycolic acid), surgeon, anesthesia (local, spinal, full), elective or emergency operation, and whether the repair was unilateral or simultaneously bilateral. Recurrent repairs showed no significantly higher recurrence rate than primary repairs.