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Mesh hernia repair and male infertility: A retrospective register study.

Hallén, Magnus LU ; Westerdahl, Johan LU ; Nordin, Pär ; Gunnarsson, Ulf and Sandblom, Gabriel LU (2012) In Surgery 151(1). p.94-98
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Previous studies have suggested that the use of mesh in groin hernia repair may be associated with an increased risk for male infertility as a result of inflammatory obliteration of structures in the spermatic cord. In a recent study, we could not find an increased incidence of involuntary childlessness. The aim of this study was to evaluate this issue further. METHODS: Men born between 1950 and 1989, with a hernia repair registered in the Swedish Hernia Register between 1992 and 2007 were cross-linked with all men in the same age group with the diagnosis of male infertility according to the Swedish National Patient Register. The cumulative and expected incidences of infertility were analyzed. Separate multivariate logistic... (More)
BACKGROUND: Previous studies have suggested that the use of mesh in groin hernia repair may be associated with an increased risk for male infertility as a result of inflammatory obliteration of structures in the spermatic cord. In a recent study, we could not find an increased incidence of involuntary childlessness. The aim of this study was to evaluate this issue further. METHODS: Men born between 1950 and 1989, with a hernia repair registered in the Swedish Hernia Register between 1992 and 2007 were cross-linked with all men in the same age group with the diagnosis of male infertility according to the Swedish National Patient Register. The cumulative and expected incidences of infertility were analyzed. Separate multivariate logistic analyses, adjusted for age and years elapsed since the first repair, were performed for men with unilateral and bilateral repair, respectively. RESULTS: Overall, 34,267 men were identified with a history of at least 1 inguinal hernia repair. A total of 233 (0.7%) of these had been given the diagnosis of male infertility after their first operation. We did not find any differences between expected and observed cumulative incidences of infertility in men operated with hernia repair. Men with bilateral hernia repair had a slightly increased risk for infertility when mesh was used on either side. However, the cumulative incidence was less than 1%. CONCLUSION: Inguinal hernia repair with mesh is not associated with an increased incidence of, or clinically important risk for, male infertility. (Less)
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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Surgery
volume
151
issue
1
pages
94 - 98
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000298770600012
  • pmid:21943643
  • scopus:83555162571
  • pmid:21943643
ISSN
1532-7361
DOI
10.1016/j.surg.2011.06.028
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
d67bd2e0-04d8-472e-8fba-a6798f1702df (old id 2168452)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21943643?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:39:44
date last changed
2022-02-27 03:50:42
@article{d67bd2e0-04d8-472e-8fba-a6798f1702df,
  abstract     = {{BACKGROUND: Previous studies have suggested that the use of mesh in groin hernia repair may be associated with an increased risk for male infertility as a result of inflammatory obliteration of structures in the spermatic cord. In a recent study, we could not find an increased incidence of involuntary childlessness. The aim of this study was to evaluate this issue further. METHODS: Men born between 1950 and 1989, with a hernia repair registered in the Swedish Hernia Register between 1992 and 2007 were cross-linked with all men in the same age group with the diagnosis of male infertility according to the Swedish National Patient Register. The cumulative and expected incidences of infertility were analyzed. Separate multivariate logistic analyses, adjusted for age and years elapsed since the first repair, were performed for men with unilateral and bilateral repair, respectively. RESULTS: Overall, 34,267 men were identified with a history of at least 1 inguinal hernia repair. A total of 233 (0.7%) of these had been given the diagnosis of male infertility after their first operation. We did not find any differences between expected and observed cumulative incidences of infertility in men operated with hernia repair. Men with bilateral hernia repair had a slightly increased risk for infertility when mesh was used on either side. However, the cumulative incidence was less than 1%. CONCLUSION: Inguinal hernia repair with mesh is not associated with an increased incidence of, or clinically important risk for, male infertility.}},
  author       = {{Hallén, Magnus and Westerdahl, Johan and Nordin, Pär and Gunnarsson, Ulf and Sandblom, Gabriel}},
  issn         = {{1532-7361}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{94--98}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Surgery}},
  title        = {{Mesh hernia repair and male infertility: A retrospective register study.}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/4093914/2521023.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.surg.2011.06.028}},
  volume       = {{151}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}