Randomized clinical trial of chronic pain after the transinguinal preperitoneal technique compared with Lichtenstein's method for inguinal hernia repair

Background: Preliminary experience has suggested that preperitoneal mesh positioning causes less chronic pain than Lichtenstein's technique for inguinal hernia repair. Therefore, a randomized clinical trial was conducted with the aim of evaluating the incidence of postoperative chronic pain after transinguinal preperitoneal (TIPP) mesh repair versus Lichtenstein's technique. Methods: Patients with a primary unilateral inguinal hernia were randomized to either TIPP or Lichtenstein's repair in two training hospitals. The primary outcome was the number of patients with chronic pain after surgery. Secondary outcomes were adverse events. Follow-up was scheduled after 14 days, 3 months and 1 year. Patients and outcome assessors were blinded. Results: A total of 302 patients were randomized to TIPP (143) or Lichtenstein (159) repair. Baseline characteristics were comparable in the two groups. Some 98.0 per cent of the patients were included in the analysis (141 in the TIPP group and 155 in the Lichtenstein group). Significantly fewer patients in the TIPP group had continuous chronic pain 1 year after surgery: five patients (3.5 per cent) versus 20 patients (12.9 per cent) in the Lichtenstein group (P = 0.004). An additional 12 patients (8.5 per cent) in the TIPP group and 60 (38.7 per cent) in the Lichtenstein group experienced pain during activity (P = 0.001). There were two patients with recurrence in the TIPP group and four in the Lichtenstein group, but no significant differences were found in other severe adverse events between the groups. Conclusion: Fewer patients had continuous chronic pain at 1 year after the TIPP mesh inguinal hernia repair compared with Lichtenstein's repair. Registration number: ISRCTN93798494 (http://www.controlled-trials.com). Copyright (c) 2012 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.