To study the application value of mesh plug tension-free hernia repair in the treatment of elderly inguinal hernia.

82 elderly patients with inguinal hernia who were treated in the Sanya People's Hospital from November 2016 to February 2018 were selected and divided into the experiment group and the control group according to random number table method, with 41 cases in each group. The control group underwent Lichtenstein tension-free hernia repair, and the experiment group underwent mesh plug tension-free hernia repair. The surgical related indexes, degree of pain at different time after operation and the level of serum β-endorphin (β-EP) on the 1st day after the operation were compared between the 2 groups, and the complications and recurrence of the 2 groups were recorded.

All patients successfully completed the operation and follow-up. Compared with the control group, the autonomic activity time of the experiment group significantly advanced, and the duration of wound pain significantly shortened (P<0.05), while there was no significant difference in the operation time, intraoperative blood loss, the autonomic activity time and hospitalization time between the two groups (P>0.05). The VAS scores of the 2 groups were the lowest at 2 hours after operation, and the VAS scores of the 2 groups increased first and then decreased from 2 hours to 7 days after operation, the VAS scores of the experiment group were significantly lower than the control group at 12 hours and 3 days after operation (P<0.05). The level of serum β-EP on 1st day after the operation in the experiment group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). The incidence of acute pain in the experiment group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). There was 1 case of recurrence in the control group, and none in the experiment group during the follow-up of 12 months.

The mesh plug tension-free hernia repair has less stress response to elderly patients with inguinal hernia. It can reduce postoperative pain, has less complications and high safety.