Effect of Prophylactic Ilioinguinal Neurectomy on Postoperative Groin Pain Following Lichenstein Hernioplasty

OBJECTIVE: To compare mean postoperative pain post-Lichenstein open hernioplasty with and without ilioinguinal neurectomy at six months. STUDY DESIGN: Randomised controlled trail. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Surgical Unit-I, Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Rawalpindi, from August 2014 to February 2015. METHODOLOGY: Adult male patients with unilateral reducible inguinal hernia, who consented to the study between the age range of 18-80 years, were included. Recurrent, irreducible or strangulated, or large inguinal-scrotal hernia and those with previous abdominal incision, impaired cognition, peripheral neuropathy, limited mobility and females were excluded. Patients were equally randomised to nerve-preservation and excision groups. Mann-Whitney U-test was applied to find out difference in inguinodynia at 1 and 6 months. RESULTS: There was significant difference in pain at 1 month in the nerve-preservation group (Md=6.00, IQR=4, n=90) and nerve excision group (Md=3.50, IQR=4, n=90), U=2308.00, z=-5.017, p<.001 and at 6 months in the nerve preservation group (Md=2.00, IQR=1, n=90) and nerve-excision group (Md=0.00, IQR=1, n=90), U=3001.00, z=-3.470, p=0.001. CONCLUSION: Prophylactic ilioinguinal neurectomy significantly reduces groin pain at 6 month as compared to nerve preservation group following Lichenstein hernioplasty.