SUTURELESS FUNCTIONALLY ADAPTIVE FIXATION METHOD FOR INGUINAL HERNIOPLASTY

SUTURELESS FUNCTIONALLY ADAPTIVE FIXATION METHOD FOR INGUINAL HERNIOPLASTY (Abstract): Mesh fixation using glue instead of sutures for inguinal hernia (IH) repair has become popular during last decade. Existing literature database including multiple clinical trials is confusing, giving no exact answer whether mesh fixation with glue can reduce chronic pain without increasing the recurrence rate and/or causing other glue related side effects. Aim: To determine whether the use of glue to fix the mesh reduce pain, postoperative complications and 18 months reoccurrence rates after IH repair compared to Lichtenstein technique. Secondary objectives were to compare quality of life changes after sutured and glued mesh fixation. Material and methods: The study involved 94 primaries uncomplicated IH patients divided into 2 groups: control group of 71 (75.53%) patients, who underwent classic sutured Lichtenstein repair and study group of 23 (24.47%) patients with glued mesh fixation according to developed functionally adaptive fixation (FAF) technique combining albumin glue mesh fixation and mesh tailoring in accordance to anthropometric peculiarities. Results: Duration and expression of post-operative pain requiring painkillers, length of working capacity and physical activity restoration was shorter in study group compared to control. Quality of life according to SF-36 was better following FAF surgery, too. Conclusions: FAF demonstrated better or comparable results with less acute and chronic postoperative pain and better quality of life than sutures for Lichtenstein hernia repair. No FAF specific complications were demonstrated in this study. Further prospective studies are at need with wider cohort selection, better randomization, and standardization combined with different surgical glues assessment.