Comparing Staples Versus Polypropylene Sutures for Mesh Fixation in Inguinal Hernia Repair in Terms of Postoperative Pain

Comparative Study of Staples Versus Polypropylene Sutures for Mesh Fixation in Lichenstein's Tension-free Inguinal Hernia Repair in Terms of Postoperative Pain

Status

Completed

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT07261189

Enrollment

168

Registered

2025-12-03

Start date

2025-09-01

Completion date

2026-03-28

Last updated

2026-04-07

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Inguinal Hernia

Keywords

Lichensteins repair, staples, polypropylene sutures, mesh fixation, postoperative pain, hernioplasty

Brief summary

This randomized controlled trial aims to compare postoperative pain between staples and polypropylene sutures used for mesh fixation in patients undergoing elective Lichtenstein tension-free inguinal hernia repair.

Detailed description

Inguinal hernia repair is one of the most common general surgical procedures worldwide. The standard method for mesh fixation during Lichtenstein tension-free hernioplasty uses polypropylene sutures. However, skin staples have recently been introduced as a faster and potentially less painful alternative. This randomized controlled trial compares both methods in terms of postoperative pain, measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and operative time.

Interventions

PROCEDUREStaples for mesh fixation

Mesh secured using stainless steel staples in Lichenstein tension-free inguinal hernioplasty

PROCEDUREPolypropylene suture for mesh fixation

Mesh secured using polypropylene sutures in Lichenstein tension-free inguinal hernioplasty

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

MALE

Age

20 Years to 60 Years

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* Male patients aged 20 to 60 years. * Patients undergoing elective Lichtenstein tension-free mesh repair for unilateral, uncomplicated inguinal hernia (direct or indirect). * Body Mass Index (BMI) between 19 and 30 kg/m². * ASA physical status I, II, or III. * Patients willing to participate and provide informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

* Diabetic patients (on medical records). * Bilateral or recurrent inguinal hernia. * Complicated hernia (irreducible, obstructed, or strangulated). * Patients unwilling to participate or who fail to complete follow-up.

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Postoperative pain (VAS score)	Postoperative day 1, day 7 and day 30	Pain intensity will be measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS 0-10)

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Operative time (minutes)	During Surgery (intraoperative period)	Time in minutes from initiation of mesh fixation to completion of skin closure

Countries

Pakistan

Contacts

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORShafqatullah

Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, Pakistan

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Apr 8, 2026