A registry-based 2-year follow-up comparative study of two meshes used in transinguinal preperitoneal (TIPP) groin hernia repair.

PURPOSE

Onflex™ mesh has replaced Polysoft™ patch on the market, without being clinically evaluated thus far in the transinguinal preperitoneal (TIPP) technique.

METHODS

All consecutive TIPP registered in our registry during the overlap period of availability of both meshes were included and studied with the chronic postoperative inguinal pain (CPIP) as primary endpoint, assessed with a verbal rating scale (VRS), and included in a patient-related outcome measurement (PROM) phone questionnaire.

RESULTS

A total of 181 Onflex cases vs 182 Polysoft cases were studied with a 2-year follow-up rate of 92% vs 88%. The overall rate of pain or discomfort was not statistically different in the 2 studied subgroups (16.5% vs 17.6%; p = 0.71), while moderate or severe pain were significantly more frequent in the Polysoft subgroup (5.5% vs 11.6%; p = 0.01). These symptoms did not interfere with the patient daily life in 16% vs 16.5% of cases, and they were self-assessed as more bothersome than the hernia in only 0.5% vs 0.5% of cases, suggesting an overestimation of the pain by the VRS. Patients assessed the result of their hernia repair as excellent or good in 97.8% vs 96.7% and medium or bad in 2.2% vs 3.3% (p = 0.53). The cumulative recurrence rate was 0% vs 2.2%. Two reoperations (one for early and one for late recurrence) were reported in the Polysoft subgroup (1%), none related to the non-absorbable memory ring.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that TIPP with Onflex provides results at least similar than those with Polysoft.