Inguinal hernia repair in patients with cirrhosis is not associated with increased risk of complications and recurrence.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Although inguinal hernia in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) is not uncommon, literature comparing operative complications and long-term recurrence rate after inguinal hernia repair in LC patients and non-LC patients is limited.

METHODS:

A total of 780 eligible patients including 129 (16.5%) patients with LC underwent inguinal hernia repair with the standard McVay procedure by a single surgeon over a 10-year period. Patients were prospectively registered and clinical data were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTS:

In the LC group, 45 patients were of Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) class A (34.9%), 66 were class B (51.1%), and 18 were class C (14.0%). Eighty-one patients with LC (62.8%) had ascites at the time of operation. Postoperative complications occurred in 14 LC patients (10.9%). Complication rate was unrelated to CTP class (A:B:C=11.1%:9.1%:16.7%; P=0.69) and was not higher than among non-LC patients (6.8%; P=0.11). Two LC patients (1.6%) of CTP class C died postoperatively from hepatic failure. In LC group patients, median follow-up was 22.9 months and recurrence developed in three (2.3%). Cumulative recurrence rates were not significantly different between the LC and non-LC patient groups (P=0.87). The cumulative rate of contralateral side hernia development was also similar between the two groups (P=0.63).

CONCLUSIONS:

Our results indicate that the incidence of postoperative complications and long-term recurrence after inguinal hernia repair in LC patients does not differ from that in non-LC patients. Elective repair of symptomatic inguinal hernia in patients with cirrhosis should be advocated.

• Authors: Heung-Kwon Oh, Hansuk Kim, Seungbum Ryoo, Eun Kyung Choe, Kyu Joo Park
• Journal: World journal of surgery (World J Surg) Vol. 35 Issue 6 Pg. 1229-33; discussion 1234 (Jun 2011) ISSN: 1432-2323 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 21365342 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Chi-Square Distribution
• Cohort Studies
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Hernia, Inguinal (complications, diagnosis, surgery)
• Humans
• Incidence
• Kaplan-Meier Estimate
• Liver Cirrhosis (complications, diagnosis, surgery)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Pain, Postoperative (physiopathology)
• Postoperative Complications (epidemiology, physiopathology)
• Recurrence
• Reference Values
• Retrospective Studies
• Risk Assessment
• Surgical Wound Infection (epidemiology, physiopathology)
• Survival Rate
• Time Factors
• Treatment Outcome
• Young Adult