Prolene hernia system in the tension-free repair of primary inguinal hernias

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of using the Prolene® (polypropylene) Hernia System for open tension-free repair on inguinal hernias, and study the results in terms of operation time, patient comfort, hospital stay, return to normal activity and postoperative complications.
Material and Methods: From February 2002 through April 2003, we performed 50 open tension-free hernia repairs on 47 patients (46 men, 1 woman) with a mean age of 55.8 years. There were 26 right and 18 left hernias, and 3 were bilateral. Of these, 39 were direct, 10 were indirect and 1 was femoral type. All were primary hernias.
Results: The duration of surgery averaged 35 minutes (range 20 to 90 min). There was no perioperative mortality. Four patients developed mild self-limiting neuralgias. There were no subcutaneous wound infections, no haematomas, no seromas and no testicular atrophy. The average duration of postoperative hospitalisation was 3.5 days. The length of follow-up ranged from 1 month to 15 months (mean= 6.24 months). We have had no recurrences so far.
Conclusion: The Prolene Hernia System is a novel approach in the management of inguinal hernias, with encouraging initial results. Its long-term efficacy needs to be studied with larger, prospective double-blind randomized trials, with longer follow-up.