Mesh Removal Versus No Mesh Removal for Chronic Groin Pain After Inguinal Hernia Repair

Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age18+
SponsorDavid Krpata

About this trial

This study is evaluating the management of chronic post-operative inguinal hernia pain and the impact of hernia mesh removal after previous minimally invasive inguinal hernia repairs.

The study aims are to evaluate the change in chronic (\>6 months), nociceptive, postoperative inguinal pain after mesh removal compared to no mesh removal in patients who have previously undergone minimally invasive inguinal hernia repair with pre-peritoneal mesh.

Eligibility criteria

This trial accepts healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

> 18 years of age

CPIP lasting > 6 months after laparoscopic or robotic inguinal hernia repair with pre-peritoneal mesh

Pain while sitting in a chair for prolonged periods of time with relief when extending the hip or lying supine to straighten the leg

Severe pain when crossing the affected leg over the contralateral leg

Disqualifiers

No characteristics of nociceptive groin pain

Zero or mild pain [0-3] when moving from supine to standing on NRS

Recurrent inguinal hernia detected on clinical exam

Large, femoral, direct or indirect inguinal hernia (F2-3, M2-3, L2-3) on diagnostic laparoscopy as defined by European Hernia Society (EHS) classification

Trial design

Design model

Crossover

Treatments tested in this trial

  • Diagnostic laparoscopy and inguinal mesh removal

    Procedure/Surgery

    Surgical examination and treatment of groin pain following inguinal hernia surgery by surgical exploration with a laparoscope or removal of mesh laparoscopically

  • Diagnostic laparoscopy

    Procedure/Surgery

    Surgical examination through laparoscopy without removal of mesh

Treatment groups

70 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groups
Group A: Diagnostic laparoscopyActive comparator 1 intervention
Group B: Laparoscopic mesh removalExperimental treatment 1 intervention

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

1

Numerical Rating Scale (NRS-11)

NRS-11 is a validated, 11-point scale ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain imaginable) and is commonly used to measure Chronic Post-operative Inguinal Pain (CPIP). NRS-11 categorizes pain as none \[0\], mild \[1-3\], moderate \[4-6\], and severe \[7-10\]. Patients will be asked to select the single number that best represents their groin pain intensity when moving from a supine to standing position.

Time frame
Change in NRS-11 scores will be measured from baseline to 6 months after surgery for both groups.

Secondary outcomes

1

Visual Analog Scale (VAS)

VAS is validated and consists of a 100 mm horizontal line anchored by two descriptors indicating the extremes: 0 (no pain) and 100 (worst pain imaginable).

Time frame
Baseline, 3-months and 6-months
2

Activities Assessment Scale (AAS)

AAS is a 13-item, validated tool measuring physical impairment due to chronic groin pain. AAS scores are converted to a range of 0-100, with higher values indicating better functional ability.

Time frame
Baseline, 3-months and 6-months
3

EuroQOL (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire

EQ-5D-5L is a validated tool evaluating 5 dimensions of health using 5 severity descriptors and includes a visual analog scale labeled from 0 to 100 to quantitatively measure overall health status. The larger the number the better the outcome.

Time frame
Baseline, 3-months and 6-months
4

Numerical Rating Scale (NRS-11)

NRS-11 is a validated, 11-point scale ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain imaginable) and is commonly used to measure Chronic Post-operative Inguinal Pain (CPIP). NRS-11 categorizes pain as none \[0\], mild \[1-3\], moderate \[4-6\], and severe \[7-10\]. Patients will be asked to select the single number that best represents their groin pain intensity when moving from a supine to standing position.

Time frame
Baseline NRS-11 scores will be measured and compared to scores at 3 months after surgery for both groups.

Other outcomes

Sponsors and contacts

Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.

David Krpata

Lead sponsor

The Cleveland Clinic

Sponsor institution