Preliminary results on a randomized controlled trial comparing post-operative pain between the ONSTEP and Lichtenstein inguinal hernia repair techniques

Resumen

Purpose:The aim of the study is to comparepostoperative inguinal pain using theInguinal Pain Questionnaire (IPQ) and numerical pain scale, in post-operative patients of Lichtenstein and Onstep technique at one week, 1 month, 3 and 6
months. We used a validated the Inguinal Pain Questionnaire was translated to Spanish. Methods: This is a randomized, doubleblinded, clinical trial. It was included 40 patients with unilateral inguinal hernia and were randomized in the group of
Lichtenstein and Onstep. Results :There is no difference in inguinal pain between both techniques using the IPQ and numeric pain scale. The score IPQ was 11.35 ± 5.1 at the first week, 7.3 ± 4.4 at one month, 7.5 ± 6.2 at 3 months in the
Lichtenstein group and 10.35 ± 5.5 at first week, 7.45 ± 5.5 at one month, 7 ± 4.9 at 3 months in the Onstep group. The numeric pain scale at 1 week is 1.9 ± 1.8, at 1 month 0.8 ± 0.89, at 3 months 0.9 ± 1.8 and at 6 months 0.10 ± 0.3 in the Lichtenstein technique and 2.85 ± 2 at first week, 1.4 ± 1.6 at one month, 0.9 ± 1.7 at 3 months and 0.6 ± 1.5 at 6 months in the Onstep technique (p = 0.013, 0.15, 0.9 and 0.1). For the validation of the IPQ in Spanish the Cronbach’s alfa was 0.753
(0.696-0.816 95%CI) and Spearman’s rho of 0.597 (p=0.004). Conclusions: There is no difference in inguinal pain between both techniques using the Inguinal Pain Questionnaire and numeric pain scale after a follow up of 3 months.