Does the Percutaneous Internal Ring Suturing Technique Impair Testicular Vascularization in Children Undergoing Inguinal Hernia Repair?

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the percutaneous internal ring suturing (PIRS) technique on testicular vascularization when used for inguinal hernia repair in children. Subjects and Methods: In this prospective study, 49 boys older than 1 year who had been diagnosed with unilateral inguinal hernia were evaluated. Hernias were repaired using the laparoscopic PIRS technique. The testes of each patient were examined using Doppler ultrasound at the preoperative, early postoperative, and late postoperative periods. Peak systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic velocity (EDV), and resistivity index (RI) of the intratesticular centripetal and testicular capsular arteries were determined. Results: PSV, EDV, and RI of the centripetal and capsular arteries were similar between preoperative, early postoperative, and late postoperative periods, with no statistically significant differences detected. Conclusions: Testicular vascularization was not affected by hernia repair using the PIRS technique in our study. We therefore conclude that PIRS is a safe technique for inguinal hernia repair with respect to testicular vascularization.