Comparison of Mean Post-Operative Pain after Nerve Preservation versus Prophylactic Ilioinguinal Neurectomy in Lichtenstein Tension free Meshplasty for Inguinal Hernia Repair
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51985/Keywords:
Inguinal Hernia, Ilioinguinal Neurectomy, Lichtenstein Meshplasty, Nerve Preservation, Post-Operative PainAbstract
Objective: To compare the mean post-operative pain of nerve preservation and prophylactic ilioinguinal neurectomy in patients undergoing Lichtenstein tension free meshplasty.
Study Design and Setting: This is a prospective comparative study that was conducted at the University of Lahore Teaching Hospital over the given period from November 2024 to May 2025.
Methodology: The study sample was 134 people between the ages of 18 and 60 who were diagnosed with inguinal hernia. The participants were randomly allocated into two different groups - Group-A in which the nerve preservation was performed and Group-B in which prophylactic ilioinguinal neurectomy was done. Post-operational pain levels were checked on the third day after the surgery on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 10. Statistical analysis was done by software package of the statistical programme and data analysis (SPSS) version 25. The results of this study were analysed by independent student t-test which p<=0.05.
Results: A total of 134 patients were included, with 67 patients in each group. The majority of patients in both groups were male and belonged to the age group above 45 years, with comparable baseline characteristics between the groups. The mean post-operative pain score at 72 hours was significantly lower in the neurectomy group (2.12±1.17) compared to the nerve preservation group (3.07±1.10) (p=0.001), indicating better pain control with prophylactic ilioinguinal neurectomy. Conclusion: Prophylactic ilioinguinal neurectomy decreased the pain experienced after surgery compared to nerve preservation in patients undergoing Lichtenstein tension-free meshplasty for inguinal hernia repair.
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