Clinical trial NCT03566784: Electrocoagulation Employment During TAPP Inguinal Hernia Repair
Official title: Electrocoagulation Employment During TAPP (Transabdominal Preperitoneal Approach) Inguinal Hernia Repair
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Conditions: Inguinal Hernia
Keywords: inguinal hernia repair
electrocoagulation
postoperative pain
thermal injury
neuralgia
Lead sponsor: University Hospital Ostrava
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2018-06-25
Enrollment: 100
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 70
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Observational model: CASE_CONTROL
Time perspective: PROSPECTIVE
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Patients indicated for an inguinal hernia surgical repair.

Brief summary: Laparoscopic TAPP (transabdominal preperitoneal) hernia repair presents a minimally invasive surgical procedure, which tends to be a gold standard in a wide range of inguinal hernia operations. Postoperative neuralgia is a troublesome complication following TAPP, which occurs in 0.2-7% of patients. The most common cause of nerve injury is an inappropriate use of electrocoagulation or dangerous tissue dissection during TAPP. However, the association between electrocoagulation employment during TAPP and postoperative neuralgia has not been investigated properly until now.

The aim of the project is to compare postoperative pain (postoperative neuralgia) in patients undergoing TAPP inguinal hernia repair with/without the use of electrocoagulation.

Detailed description: Worldwide, more than 20 million patients undergo inguinal hernia repair annually. Laparoscopic hernia repair presents a minimally invasive surgical procedure, which tends to be a gold standard for inguinal hernia repair. In comparison with open techniques of hernia repair, TAPP approach requires a totally different anatomic point of view. The operating surgeon must understand the basic principles and technical key points of TAPP in order to ensure satisfactory surgical outcomes and to prevent the occurrence of complications.

Postoperative neuralgia presents a troublesome complication following TAPP, which occurs in 0.2-7% of patients. Neuralgia is caused by intraoperative injury of genitofemoral, ilioinguinal, iliohypogastric or cutaneous femoris lateralis nerves (genitofemoral nerve being is the most often damaged). During TAPP, the most frequent causes of neural injury include clip application, inappropriate use of electrocoagulation or dangerous tissue dissection. At present, the employment of modern self-gripping meshes and tissue glues leave the use of electrocoagulation the main risk factor for potential nerve injury.

The aim of the proposed project is to evaluate postoperative pain (postoperative neuralgia) in patients undergoing TAPP inguinal hernia repair with/without the use of electrocoagulation. The assessment of the pain in the groin region will be performed on the 2nd and 7th postoperative day by means of clinical examination and by fulfilling the visual scale of pain. In patients showing clinical signs of postoperative neuralgia on the 7th postoperative day, clinical examination by an experienced neurologist will be performed.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* age ≥18 years
* unilateral inguinal hernia
* no previous intraabdominal operations
* no history of neurological diseases

Exclusion Criteria:

* recurrent inguinal hernia
* bilateral inguinal hernia
* history of chronic pain syndrome
* preoperative ASA classification IV-V

Primary outcomes:
measure: Postoperative neuralgia
timeFrame: 12 months
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Surgery time
timeFrame: 12 months
measure: Scrotal hematoma
timeFrame: 12 months
measure: Seroma
timeFrame: 12 months
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Ostrava-Poruba
country: Czechia
facility: University Hospital Ostrava
state: Czech Republic
Study officials:
affiliation: University Hospital Ostrava
name: Petr Ostruszka, MD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
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