Effects of non-woven mesh in preperitoneal tension-free inguinal hernia repair: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND: Tension-free hernia repair has been recognized as the gold standard for the treatment of inguinal hernia. Different mesh has different characteristics that influence the efficiency of surgery. We conducted this study to evaluate the effectiveness of non-woven mesh in preperitoneal tension-free inguinal hernia repair under local anesthesia. METHODS: The medical records of patients who received preperitoneal tension-free inguinal hernia repair under local anesthesia in our hospital from 2012 to 2015 were reviewed. Patients were included if their surgery was conducted using non-woven or woven mesh. Outcome measures were operation time, length of stay in hospital, hospital fees, complications and degree of chronic pain, foreign body sensation and recurrence. A total of 389 cases were included. 186 cases were repaired with non-woven mesh (observation group), and 203 cases were repaired with woven mesh (control group). RESULTS: There were no significant differences in operation time and length of stay in the hospital, but hospital fees were significantly higher in the observation group. Seroma of the inguinal region occurred in 6 cases of the observation group and 8 cases of the control group with no significant difference and no other complications and recurrence in both groups. No cases of chronic pain were recorded in the observation group; 8 cases were recorded in the control group. Foreign body sensation was found in 1 case of the observation group and 9 cases in the control group, which showed attractive advantages of non-woven mesh. CONCLUSIONS: Preperitoneal tension-free repair for inguinal hernia under local anesthesia using non-woven or woven mesh is available. The hospital cost of using non-woven mesh is higher than that of woven mesh, but the incidence rate of chronic pain and foreign body sensation are lower in the use of non-woven mesh. Therefore, non-woven mesh may be worth using in the clinical setting.