Higher rate of chronic pain in young men after open mesh versus non-mesh repair of elective primary unilateral indirect inguinal hernia: a nationwide questionnaire study

Young age is a risk factor for chronic pain after inguinal hernia repair, but the role of the mesh in young patients is uncertain. The aim of this study was to assess chronic pain after open mesh versus non-mesh repair of indirect inguinal hernia in young men. Validated questionnaires were sent to men aged 18–29 years at the time of an elective primary unilateral open repair of an indirect inguinal hernia between 1998 and 2015. Patients were identified in the Danish Hernia Database. Non-mesh repairs were matched 1:3 with mesh repairs (Lichtenstein) on age and follow-up time. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with chronic pain evaluated with the Activity assessment scale. Secondary outcomes included other pain measures and sexual impairment. In total, 661 patients were included in this study (77% mesh and 23% non-mesh) with a median follow-up of 14.8 years (range 2.3–20.0) in the mesh group and 15.9 years (range 3.6–20.0) in the non-mesh group. For the primary outcome, 12% of patients in the mesh group compared with 6% in the non-mesh group had chronic pain (p=0.03). Patients in the mesh group had higher odds of chronic pain in adjusted analysis (OR=2.30 [95% confidence interval=1.11–4.77]). More patients in the mesh group had pain during sexual activity (p=0.01), but there were no differences for most of the remaining secondary outcomes. Young men had a higher rate of chronic pain after open mesh compared with non-mesh repair for indirect inguinal hernia, but results should be interpreted with caution.