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Is contralateral inguinal exploration necessary in preterm girls undergoing inguinal hernia repair during the first months of life?

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Abstract

Background

To assess the need for contralateral surgical exploration in preterm girls with symptomatic unilateral inguinal hernia.

Methods

The medical data of girls operated for inguinal hernia between 2004 and 2016 in a single pediatric surgery center were retrospectively collected. Preterm girls operated for unilateral hernia before 6 months of life were selected (55/517 cases) to assess the incidence and risk factors for contralateral metachronous inguinal hernia (CMIH).

Results

CMIH was observed in 7% of cases (4 girls with a right inguinal hernia in 3 cases) at a mean age of 4.2 years. Only one case occurred early (3 months). Birth weight and term were comparable (1674 ± 620 g and 32 ± 5 WA without CMIH vs. 1694 ± 582 g and 33 ± 3 WA with CMIH).

Conclusion

Contralateral inguinal hernia is very rare and generally occurs several years after inguinal repair surgery in preterm girls, which should encourage practitioners to follow these children throughout childhood for the subsequent development of inguinal hernia. This study did not find any arguments in favor of systematic contralateral exploration in preterm girls.

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Funding

This research did not receive any specific Grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatric Surgery, Amiens University Hospital, Avenue Laennec-Salouël, 80054, Amiens Cedex 1, France

    Marion Demouron, Xavier Delforge, Philippe Buisson, Mounia Hamzy, Céline Klein & Elodie Haraux

  2. PeriTox-UMI 01, UFR de Médecine, Jules Verne University of Picardy, 80054, Amiens, France

    Elodie Haraux

Authors
  1. Marion Demouron
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  2. Xavier Delforge
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  3. Philippe Buisson
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  4. Mounia Hamzy
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  5. Céline Klein
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  6. Elodie Haraux
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Correspondence to Elodie Haraux.

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The authors have no potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article to disclose.

Research involving human participants

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Demouron, M., Delforge, X., Buisson, P. et al. Is contralateral inguinal exploration necessary in preterm girls undergoing inguinal hernia repair during the first months of life?. Pediatr Surg Int 34, 1151–1155 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00383-018-4334-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00383-018-4334-1

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