Staffan Wollert

Three-year results of a randomized clinical trial of lightweight or standard polypropylene mesh in Lichtenstein repair of primary inguinal hernia

This randomized trial examined whether lightweight (LW) polypropylene mesh (large pore size, partially absorbable) could have long‐term benefits in reducing chronic pain and inflammation after inguinal hernia repair.

Changes in gut intramucosal ph and gut oxygen extraction ratio in a porcine model of peritonitis and hemorrhage

OBJECTIVE To establish the relationship between gut intramucosal pH and blood flow to the gut, gut oxygen delivery, and gut oxygen extraction ratio in a porcine model of peritonitis and hemorrhage. DESIGN Prospective, controlled study. SETTING Experimental laboratory in a university teaching hospital. SUBJECTS Thirty pigs of both sexes, weighing 15 to 22 kg. INTERVENTIONS Animals were anesthetized, intubated, and mechanically ventilated. A flow probe was placed around the superior mesenteric artery for registration of blood flow. A tonometer was placed in the lumen of midileum for calculation of gut intramucosal pH. Hourly, for 5 hrs, blood samples were taken from mixed venous, mesenteric venous, and arterial blood. Five animals served as controls, ten animals had peritonitis induced by fecal instillation in the abdominal cavity, five were bled stepwise, five were bled rapidly (to a mean arterial pressure of 30 mm Hg), and five were bled rapidly and reinfused after 3 hrs. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Both peritonitis and hemorrhage caused decreases in gut blood flow and intramucosal pH. In mild peritonitis, the intramucosal pH decrease preceded that of blood flow. In all experimental groups, oxygen delivery decreased over time; in both mild and severe peritonitis, this decrease was preceded by a decrease of intramucosal pH. Intramucosal pH correlated well with gut oxygen extraction ratio in peritonitis (r2 = .86). In hemorrhage, there was a correlation of r2 = .66, but in intramucosal pH of < 7.12, a further decrease was accompanied only by minor changes in extraction ratio. CONCLUSIONS Since a reduction in blood flow was preceded by a decrease in intramucosal pH, low intramucosal pH in peritonitis cannot be explained by low flow alone. Gut oxygen delivery proved to be a poor indicator of gut acidosis (i.e., low intramucosal pH). In peritonitis, a decreasing intramucosal pH was associated with an increasing oxygen extraction ratio. In hemorrhage, this association had a sharp deflection point below which a further decrease in intramucosal pH occurred concomitantly with an unchanged gut oxygen extraction ratio. Increased extraction ratio was not sufficient, not even initially, to maintain aerobic metabolism (i.e., unchanged intramucosal pH).

Early results of a randomised trial comparing Prolene and VyproII-mesh in endoscopic extraperitoneal inguinal hernia repair (TEP) of recurrent unilateral hernias

The purpose of this study was to compare a lightweight mesh to a standard polypropylene hernia mesh in endoscopic extraperitoneal hernioplasty in recurrent hernias. A total of 140 men with recurrent unilateral inguinal hernias were randomised to a totally extraperitoneal endoscopic hernioplasty (TEP) with Prolene or VyproII in a single-blinded multi-center trial. The randomisation and all data handling were performed through the Internet. 137 patients were operated as allocated. Follow-up was completed in 88% of the patients. The median operation times were 55 (24–125) min and 53.5 (21–123) min for the Prolene and VyproII groups, respectively. The meshes had comparable results in the surgeon’s assessment of the handling of the mesh, return to work, return to daily activities, complications, postoperative pain and quality of life during the first 8 weeks of rehabilitation, except in General Health (GH) SF-36, where the VyproII-group had a significantly better score (P=0.045). The use of Prolene and VyproII-meshes in endoscopic repair of recurrent inguinal hernia seems to result in similar short-term outcomes and quality of life.

Early results of a randomized multicenter trial comparing Prolene and VyproII mesh in bilateral endoscopic extraperitoneal hernioplast (TEP)

BackgroundThe use of mesh in inguinal hernia surgery has become increasingly popular despite the potentially harmful effects that foreign material may exert on human tissue. The purpose of this study was to compare the use of a lightweight mesh vs a standard hernia mesh in bilateral endoscopic hernioplasty.MethodsThis single-blinded multicenter trial, 140 men with bilateral inguinal hernias were randomized to undergo totally extraperitoneal endoscopic hernioplasty (TEP) with either Prolene or VyproII. The randomization and all data management were done via the Internet.ResultsA total of 139 patients were operated on as allocated. The follow-up was complete in 94% of the patients. The median (range) operating times were 85 min (45-140) and 73min (35-165) for the Prolene and VyproII groups, respectively. (p = 0.01). The difference was due to uneven distribution of the allocated patients to study groups among individual surgeons. The time to return to work was similar (11 vs 9 days, p = 0.08). The time to return to normal daily activities was 19 days (1-133) in the Prolene group and 12.5 days (0-237) in the VyproII group (p = 0.06). There were no significant differences between the groups in their scores on the Visual Analogue Scale or SF-36 Health Scores during the 8-week follow-up.ConclusionsThe use of Prolene and VyproII meshes in bilateral endoscopic repair of inguinal hernia seems to result in similar short-term outcome and quality of life. However, there was a tendency toward faster return to normal activity among VyproII patients.

Chronic Pain After Femoral Hernia Repair : A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective:To explore the prevalence of and to identify possible risk factors for chronic pain after surgery for femoral hernia. Background:Chronic pain has become a very important outcome in quality assessment of inguinal hernia surgery. There are no studies on the risk for chronic pain after femoral hernia surgery. Methods:The Inguinal Pain Questionnaire was sent to 1967 patients who had had a repair for primary unilateral femoral hernia between January 1, 1997 and December 31, 2006. A follow-up period of at least 18 months was chosen. Answers from 1461 patients were matched with data recorded in the Swedish Hernia Register and analyzed. Results:Some degree of pain during the previous week was reported by 24.2% (354) of patients. Pain interfered with daily activities in 5.5% (81) of patients. Emergency surgery (OR = 0.54; 95% CI = 0.40–0.74) and longer time since surgery (OR = 0.93; 95% CI = 0.89–0.98 for each year added) were associated with lower risk for chronic postoperative pain, whereas a high level of preoperative pain was associated with a higher risk for chronic pain (OR = 1.17; 95% CI = 1.10–1.25). Surgical technique was not found to influence the risk for chronic pain in multivariate logistic regression analysis. Conclusions:Chronic postoperative pain is as important a complication after femoral hernia surgery as it is after inguinal hernia surgery. In contrast to inguinal hernia surgery, no risk factor related to surgical technique was found. Further investigations into the role of preoperative pain are necessary.

Validation of Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index in Swedish for Assessing the Impact of Gallstones on Health‐Related Quality of Life

OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study was to validate a Swedish translation of the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI) questionnaire in patients with gallstone disease. METHODS Sensitivity to change, internal consistency, and test-retest stability were tested in 187 consecutive patients who underwent planned cholecystectomy. Construct validity was assessed by comparing the GIQLI score with the bodily pain scale of SF-36 and four single-item questions in a separate group of 104 patients. RESULTS A significant increase in all five domains as well as in the overall GIQLI score 6 months after surgery (all P < 0.05) was seen. All five domains correlated significantly with other measures of gallstone-related symptoms except one single-item question. Intraclass correlations ranged from 0.62 to 0.87. Cronbachs alpha ranged from 0.77 to 0.89. CONCLUSION The Swedish translation of GIQLI has a high validity and reliability for assessing the impact of gallstones on quality of life.

Less Pain 1 Year After Total Extra-peritoneal Repair Compared With Lichtenstein Using Local Anesthesia: Data From a Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

Objective:The aim was to compare long-term postoperative pain after inguinal hernia surgery using 2 techniques that have shown favorable long-term outcome in previous randomized studies: Lichtenstein using local anesthesia (LLA) and endoscopic total extra-peritoneal repair (TEP) under general anesthesia. Background:Patients often experience pain after inguinal hernia surgery. These 2 methods in their optimal state have not yet been sufficiently compared. Methods:A randomized controlled trial was conducted to detect any difference in long-term postoperative inguinal pain. Altogether 384 patients were randomized and operated using either TEP under general anesthesia (n = 193) or LLA (n = 191). One year postoperatively, patients were examined by an independent surgeon and requested to complete the Inguinal Pain Questionnaire (IPQ), a validated questionnaire for the assessment of postoperative inguinal pain. Results:Three hundred seventy-five (97.7%) patients completed follow-up at 1 year. In the TEP group, 39 (20.7%) patients experienced pain, compared with 62 (33.2%) patients in the LLA group (P = 0.007). Severe pain was reported by 4 patients in the TEP group and 6 patients in the LLA group (2.1% and 3.2%, respectively, P = 0.543). Pain in the operated groin limited the ability to exercise for 5 TEP patients and 14 LLA patients (2.7% and 7.5%, respectively, P = 0.034). Conclusions:Patients operated with TEP experienced less long-term postoperative pain and less limitation in their ability to exercise than those operated with LLA. The present data justify recommending TEP as the procedure of choice in the surgical treatment of primary inguinal hernia.