Morbidity after neonatal inguinal herniotomy.

Neonatal inguinal herniotomy is recognised by paediatric surgeons to be a potentially difficult procedure. This study reviewed the clinical, operative, and outcome details of 74 infants undergoing herniotomy at less than 44 weeks' gestation with particular reference to the incidence of complications such as recurrent hernia and testicular atrophy. Follow-up information was obtained in 69 patients (93%, mean follow-up, 8.1 months). There were 8 recurrent hernias in 5 patients (2 bilateral recurrences, 1 second recurrence) giving an overall hernia recurrence rate of 8.6%. There was only 1 case of testicular atrophy (secondary to a wound infection and scrotal abscess). Despite the provision of a consultant-led service, the recurrence rate in neonates is much higher than that seen in the paediatric population as a whole. In light of commissioners' current demands for quality standards and managed healthcare, it is important that outcomes in this high-risk group are defined separately from those of other patients undergoing inguinal herniotomy.