Abstract
Objective : Inguinal hernia (hernia) following radical retropubic prostatectomy (RPP) is one of the complications of RPP, and our objective is to clarify its pathology. Methods : Hernia surgery patients and RPP patients were analyzed retrospectively. Results : Among 388 men who had elective surgery for hernia, 9 of the cases were post-RPP hernia, or 2.3%, which was 10.7% of the 84 RPP patients. The frequency of post-RPP hernia occurring bilaterally is high, and bilateral occurrence with 1 year was more common in hernias that did not follow RPP (p<0.01). In surgical findings, all cases were indirect hernias, and detachment of the preperitoneal cavity was often difficult due to a high degree of inflammatory changes. We could not find any clear features that suggested a relation to the cause of hernia in post-RPP patients. Conclusions : It is essential to diagnose post-RPP hernia keeping the possibility of bilateral occurrence in mind, and to select the operative method with consideration of inflammatory changes in the preperitoneal cavity. The next subject to address will be elucidating the cause of occurrence and establishing preventive measures.
