COMPARISON OF POST-OPERATIVE WOUND INFECTION AFTER INGUINAL HERNIA REPAIR WITH POLYPROPYLENE MESH AND POLYESTER MESH

Background: Hernia is one of the most commonly encountered disease in a general surgeon’s carrier. Lichtenstein hernioplasty is the method of choice and wound infection remains most common as well as most dreadful complication challenging clinicians. The reported incidence of mesh related infection varies from 1-8% being influenced by underlying comorbidites, type of mesh used, the surgical technique employed and the strategy adopted for the prevention of this grave complication. Study Design: Randomized controlled trial Objective: To compare post operative wound infection frequency after inguinal hernia repair with polypropylene and polyester mesh using standard Lichtenstein hernioplasty technique. Place and Duration: This study was conducted at general surgery department CMH/MH Rawalpindi from 08 April 07 to 01 Jan 08 over a period of 09 months. Patients and Materials: Sixty patients received through outpatient department with diagnosis of inguinal hernia satisfying inclusion/exclusion criteria were included. Patients were divided into two groups randomly. Group 1 included those patients in whom polypropylene mesh was used while group 2 patients were implanted with polyester mesh. Demographic as well as data concerning post operative wound infection was collected and analyzed. Results: Fifty seven patients (95%) were males while remaining (05%) were females. Mean age in group 1 was 41.17±9.99 years while in group 2 was 41.47±9.79 years (p=0.907). One patient (3.3%) in each group developed wound infection diagnosed by clinical evidence of pain at wound site, redness, induration and purulent discharge. Conclusion: There is no difference in post operative wound infection rate after inguinal Lichtenstein hernioplasty using either polypropylene or polyester mesh.