Evaluation of Mobility Status after Inguinal Hernia Surgery

Abstract

Background: Many different studies have compared open and laparoscopic-endoscopic inguinal hernia repair techniques according to intraoperative and postoperative complications, recurrence rates, postoperative inguinal chronic pain, quality of life, and costs. Most of the researchers have compared these different inguinal hernia repair techniques using a visual analog scale, a short-form survey instrument, or patients’ return-to-normal-activity time, but there is a lack of objective data concerning pelvic function recovery after these procedures. Aim: To evaluate and compare real hip and leg function recovery times after the application of different inguinal hernia repair techniques using hip and leg mobility, strength, and stability testing for the first time. Patients and Methods: This prospective nonrandomized clinical study included 33 male patients aged 18–75 years hospitalized for primary inguinal hernia repair surgery. The patients were divided into two groups: group 1 (Lichtenstein hernia repair) and group 2 (laparoscopic-endoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal/totally extraperitoneal hernia repair). The two groups were compared in terms of intraoperative and postoperative complications, postoperative recovery time, and hip and leg mobility, strength, and stability functional analysis on the first postoperative day as well as 1, 2, and 4 weeks after surgery. Results: A total of 33 patients were included in the study: 13 in the open hernia repair group and 20 in the minimally invasive hernia repair group. There was no significant difference in early and late postoperative complications and recurrence rates. The surgery time and hospital stay were significantly shorter in the laparoscopic-endoscopic hernia repair group. All pelvic functions in the patients who underwent laparoscopic-endoscopic hernia repair recovered 2 or 3 weeks faster than after Lichtenstein repair. Conclusions: Hip and leg mobility, strength, and stability tests are useful to evaluate the recovery time after inguinal hernia repair and could be used as objective tools for estimating recovery after the application of other inguinal hernia repair techniques. Hip and leg mobility, strength, and stability recover faster after minimally invasive inguinal hernia repair. There is no significant difference between the groups in early and late postoperative complications or recurrence rates.