I. Ulman et al., UNILATERAL INGUINAL-HERNIA IN GIRLS - IS ROUTINE CONTRALATERAL EXPLORATION JUSTIFIED, Journal of pediatric surgery, 30(12), 1995, pp. 1684-1686
To determine the incidence of contralateral hernia development after u
nilateral inguinal hernia repair in girls, collected case series from
two large hospitals were analyzed retrospectively. Among the 294 girls
who had undergone repair of a unilateral inguinal hernia (during a 15
-year period), 245 could be traced; the mean follow-up period was 8.4
years. In 25 (10.2%) of the patients, contralateral hernia developed,
mostly within one year (4 months to 6.5 years). The incidence of contr
alateral hernia development with respect to the original side of the i
nguinal hernia was significantly higher (19%) for the originally left-
sided hernias than for the right-sided ones (6%) (P < .01). Although t
he incidence of contralateral hernia development for girls with a left
inguinal hernia decreased as age increased, it was still 14.9% for th
e girls age 3 and up. Contralateral exploration should not be routine
for girls who have a right-sided hernia, at any age. For left-sided he
rnias, it may be performed routinely for girls up to 2 years of age, a
nd selectively for older patients. (C) 1995 by W.B. Saunders Company