Hernia Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Hernia, including details on hiatal, inguinal, umbilical, abdominal, treatment.

Successful endoscopic treatment of chronic groin pain in athletes.

van Veen RN, de Baat P, Heijboer MP, Kazemier G, Punt BJ, Dwarkasing RS, Bonjer HJ, van Eijck CH

Department of Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Room Z-836, Dr. Molewaterplein 40, 3015, GD, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. r.n.vanveen@erasmusmc.nl

BACKGROUND: Chronic groin pain, especially in professional sportsmen, is a difficult clinical problem. METHODS: From January 1999 to August 2005, 55 professional and semiprofessional sportsmen (53 males; mean age, 25 +/- 4.5 years; range, 17-36 years) with undiagnosed chronic groin pain were followed prospectively. All the patients underwent an endoscopic total extraperitoneal (TEP) mesh placement. RESULTS: Incipient hernia was diagnosed in the study athletes: 15 on the right side (27%), 12 on the left side (22%), and 9 bilaterally (16%). In 20 patients (36%), an inguinal hernia was found: 3 direct inguinal hernias (5%) and 17 indirect hernias (31%). All the athletes returned to their normal sports level within 3 months after the operation. CONCLUSIONS: A TEP repair must be proposed to patients with prolonged groin pain unresponsive to conservative treatment. If no clear pathology is identified, reinforcement of the wall using a mesh offers good clinical results for athletes with idiopathic groin pain.

Published 12 January 2007 in Surg Endosc, 21(2): 189-93.
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