Inguinal hernia repair in early infancy.

Controversy regarding the management of inguinal hernias in young infants stimulated this study. It was our hypothesis that inguinal hernia in young infants can and should be repaired at the time of presentation. In order to address this issue, the following questions were examined: How frequently are these hernias incarcerated and how should this be managed? What is the best timing of repair? Should the asymptomatic contralateral groin be explored? How do the recurrence and complication rates compare with those in older children? Have advances in anesthesia affected the treatment of these infants? The records of 384 infants less than 2 months of age who underwent inguinal herniorrhaphy from January 1985 to January 1990 at Children's Hospital and Medical Center in Seattle were reviewed. Nearly one fourth (24%) of the patients had incarcerated hernias. Preoperative reduction was successful 96% of the time. The hernia was then repaired within 48 hours. Six patients required urgent operation, but bowel resection was not necessary in any. Contralateral groin exploration was performed 96% of the time and was positive in 85%. The recurrence rate was 1.0%. Complications occurred in 2.3% of patients. There were no hernia-related deaths. Spinal anesthesia was used in 63 patients with no postoperative apnea. An aggressive approach toward prompt repair of hernias in this age group can result in a very low incidence of hernia-related complications. Repair can be carried out safely in the first 2 months of life with recurrence and complication rates comparable with those in older children. Spinal anesthesia may lower the rate of postoperative apnea.