Abstract

Background & Aims: One of the topics discussed in surgical medicine is the adoption of a selective method for repairing inguinal hernia. The recognition of the efficacy and complications of each repair method, especially in comparison with each other, can be greatly helpful in this domain. Regarding this, the present study aimed to compare the outcomes and complications of using mesh plus Bassini method and mesh repair alone in patients with inguinal hernia. Materials and Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 166 candidates of inguinal hernia surgery in 2007. The patients were divided into two groups based on the adopted surgical approach, namely Bassini plus mesh methods and mesh repair alone. The standard surgical protocol was performed by a surgeon using a prolene mesh with a size of 11×6 cm for both groups. The medical records of the patients were assessed after the surgery in terms of the length of hospital stay and recurrence rate for five years. Data analysis was performed using Fisher’s exact and Chi-square tests to compare the ratios, as well as Student’s t-test and Chi-square test at a significance level of 0.05. Results: Mean durations of hospital stay in the mesh plus Bassini and mesh groups were 1.9±0.8 and 2.1±0.9 days, respectively, which was not significantly different between the two groups (P=0.166). During the five-year follow-up, 2.4% and 10.8% of the patients in the mesh plus Bassini and mesh groups experienced hernia recurrence. Accordingly, there was a significant difference between the two groups in terms of this variable (P=0.029). Conclusion: As the results of the present study indicated, the concomitant use of Bassini and mesh methods in a surgery could significantly prevent the recurrence of inguinal hernia, compared to the exclusive use of mesh technique.