[Incidence of contralateral inguinal hernias in infancy and childhood]

Langenbecks Arch Chir. 1997;382(5):252-6.
[Article in German]

Abstract

Inguinal hernia is a frequent surgical disease during infancy, occurring in 1 to 2% of all mature newborns and rise up to 30% of all premature babies. In 9.5% a contralateral hernia is found after unilateral operation. In our own patients this rate was 5.6%. The development of a contralateral hernia was significantly more often found in boys than in girls. If the hernia occurred during the first two months of life, a contralateral hernia developed later highly significant (p > 0.0001). Within the first two postoperative years the second hernia arose in 84.9%. We recommended to routinely operation for a contralateral hernia in all children younger than two months.

Publication types

  • English Abstract
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Hernia, Inguinal / epidemiology*
  • Hernia, Inguinal / surgery
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infant, Premature, Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Infant, Premature, Diseases / surgery
  • Male
  • Postoperative Complications / epidemiology
  • Postoperative Complications / surgery
  • Recurrence
  • Reoperation