Complications of groin hernia repair

What it is

Complications of groin hernia repair fall into early ones, which appear in the days after repair, and late ones, of which chronic groin pain and recurrence matter most.

Causes and risk

Three nerves are at risk, and where each one runs tells you which repair puts it in the way. The ilioinguinal nerve runs between internal and external oblique, so it is at risk in open anterior repair. The iliohypogastric nerve runs above the internal ring and is at risk in open and laparoscopic repairs alike. The genital branch of the genitofemoral nerve runs within the cord and along the posterior wall, so it is at risk in laparoscopic repairs, especially TAPP.