Quality of life following laparoscopic inguinal hernia surgery with self-adhesive mesh in 552 patients: a two surgeon experience

Background: Given negative publicity surrounding surgical mesh in the media, the aim of this study was to assess post-operative morbidity and quality of life (QoL) following laparoscopic inguinal hernia surgery with self-adhesive ProgripTM mesh. Methods: This study is a retrospective analysis of ProgripTM mesh for laparoscopic inguinal hernia repairs by two experienced surgeons in the public and private sectors. Data were collected by screening electronic clinical records. A sample of participants were contacted directly for QoL assessment using the Carolinas Comfort Scale (CCS). Descriptive statistical analysis was performed in Microsoft Excel. Results: Five hundred and fifty-two patients had 648 hernia repairs using ProgripTM mesh from 2013 to 2019. The rate of hernia recurrence was 0.2% (n = 1). The rate of reoperation was 0.5% (n = 3). There were no mesh explant procedures, no adhesion-related readmissions and no perioperative deaths. Haematoma was the most common post-operative complication, occurring in 3.1% of participants (n = 17). The CCS assessment had a response rate of 55.8%. A total of 93% of CCS questions were answered with no sensation of mesh, 92% with no pain and 98% with no movement limitation. No participants reported severe or disabling symptoms. Conclusion: In this cohort, laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair with ProgripTM has shown a low recurrence rate and excellent post-operative QoL. The QoL data shows that the public perception of mesh based on media reports of complications may not be relevant for this operation. The knowledge gained from this study reinforces the potential value of a national mesh registry such as those seen overseas.