Chronic groin
pain is a common symptom experienced by soccer players, resulting in many athletes undergoing prolonged periods of
conservative treatment. In a high proportion of these cases, however, the cause of groin
pain is due to impalpable
hernias, thus nullifying the usefulness of a conservative approach. Of the current
surgical procedures for
inguinal hernia repair, the Lichtenstein technique is widely used. The present study aims to evaluate the efficacy of mesh fixation with human
fibrin glue (
Tissucol) in open, tension-free inguinal repair, in the treatment of soccer players with groin
hernia. A sutureless Lichtenstein technique was employed in 16 consecutive soccer players with primary groin
hernia. Inguinal nerves were prepared and preserved. Human
fibrin glue was used for mesh fixation, in place of conventional
sutures. Results were rated as excellent in all cases, with no reported intra- or postoperative complications. All patients were discharged 4 - 5 h after the operation, and all returned to full pre-injury level sporting-activity, on average, 31 days (range 24 - 42 days) post surgery. This study confirms the efficacy of sutureless tension-free
hernia repair with human
fibrin glue for the treatment of soccer players suffering from chronic groin
pain due to impalpable groin
hernia.