Objectives: To determine the incidence of inguinal hernias in men undergoing open radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP).
Methods: The incidence of preoperative and postprostatectomy inguinal hernias were determined by a retrospective chart review and questionnaire survey of 1130 consecutive men who underwent open RRP by a single surgeon from October 2000 to October 2005. A preoperative inguinal hernia was diagnosed by the physical examination or abdominal computed tomography findings. The incidence of new postoperative hernias was ascertained by the patients' responses to a survey indicating the development of a new groin bulge or hernia.
Results: Of the 1130 patients, 146 (13%) had a preoperative inguinal hernia. Increasing age and lower body mass index were significantly associated with the detection of a preoperative inguinal hernia. The sensitivity of detecting an inguinal hernia by physical examination and routine abdominal computed tomography preoperatively was 96.3% and 42.5%, respectively. Also, 8% of men developed a new hernia.
Conclusions: Although abdominal computed tomography can identify inguinal hernias in men undergoing open RRP, the test's sensitivity is inferior to that of a simple physical examination. All candidates for open RRP should undergo a careful physical examination to identify asymptomatic inguinal hernias. Our findings suggest that the previously reported high incidence of symptomatic inguinal hernias that developed after open RRP can be explained by a failure to diagnose preexisting inguinal hernias and the development of new hernias.