A Clinical Analysis of 200 Cases of Pediatric Inguinal Hernia.
- Author:
Jin Woo PARK
1
;
Sang Jeon LEE
;
Lee Chan JANG
Author Information
1. Department of Surgery, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Pediatric inguinal hernia
- MeSH:
Chungcheongbuk-do;
Education;
Emergencies;
Female;
Follow-Up Studies;
Hematoma;
Hernia;
Hernia, Inguinal*;
Herniorrhaphy;
Hospitalization;
Humans;
Ligation;
Postoperative Complications;
Retrospective Studies;
Sex Ratio
- From:Journal of the Korean Surgical Society
1999;56(6):898-905
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: Inguinal hernia is one of the most common surgical diseases in pediatric patients. We reviewed pediatric inguinal hernia cases retrospectively to analyze the clinical characteristics. METHODS: We reviewed 200 herniorrhaphies in 194 patients who were under the age of 15 and who were operated on at Chungbuk National University Hospital from January 1992 to July 1997. RESULTS: 1) All of the cases were indirect inguinal hernias. Sliding hernias were noticed in 6 cases. High ligations were performed in all cases except 2 cases of Bassini operations. 2) Boys were affected 3.4 times more often than girls. 56.2% of the hernias occurred on the right side, 35.0% on the left side, and 8.8% bilaterally. Bilateral inguinal hernias occurred more often in girls (13.6%) than in boys (7.3%). 3) Hernias were noticed under the age of 1 year (47.9% of the cases). In most of those cases, operations were delayed. Especially, the operations were delayed more than 3 months for 82.1% of patients with hernias and under the age of 6 months. 4) On admission, most patients complained of inguinal or scrotal swelling and inguinal pain or discomfort. 5) Hospitalization occurred in 20.6% of the cases, 3 of which needed emergency operations. Hospitalization occurred in 47.5% of the cases under the age of 1 year; in those cases, hernias were noticed within the first 6 months, and in most of those cases, operations were delayed more than 3 months. 6) Postoperative complications occurred in 9 cases, i.e., 8 cases of scrotal swelling and 1 case of scrotal hematoma. There were no recurrent cases after operation (average follow-up of 33 months). 7) After unilateral inguinal hernia repairs, contralateral hernias developed in 10 patients including 4 patients who had had received their first hernia operations at other hospitals. The sex ratio was 9:1. Laterality of the first hernias were right in 5 cases and left in 5 cases. Contralateral hernias developed within an average of 4.8 months after the first operation; however, 6 cases developed within 6 months after the first operation. CONCLUSIONS: Education for early operation to prevent complications of hernias and careful evaluation of contralateral inguinal hernias in unilateral hernias are needed in the treatment of pediatric inguinal hernias.
