Does inguinal hernia repair affect uroflowmetric parameters? A prospective controlled clinical trial.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the changes in uroflowmetric values of male patients following elective inguinal hernia repair.

Methods: The study group comprised patients treated with open or laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair. Patients who underwent surgery due to various diseases such as cataract, multinodular goiter, choledocholithiasis, thyroid and breast cancer, hydrocele, or spermatocele were recruited to the control group. Perioperative characteristics, including pain assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS), uroflowmetric values, and post-void residual urine volumes (PVR), were recorded preoperatively and on Postoperative Days (POD) 1 and 30. Uroflowmetry, VAS, and PVR values were also recorded for the control group on Study Days 1, 3, and 30.

Results: There were 103 subjects in this study (52 treated with elective inguinal hernia repair in the study group, 51 in the control group). Preoperative VAS, maximum and average flow rate, and PVR were similar in the 2 groups (P > .05 for all), whereas comparisons of these 3 factors on POD 1 revealed significant differences (P < .001 for all). Linear regression analysis demonstrated that preoperative maximum and POD 1 VAS values of patients who underwent elective inguinal hernia repair could significantly predict acute urinary retention or voiding dysfunction (P = .001 for all).

Conclusion: Postoperative pain affect parameters and cause urinary retention after open or laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair.