To compare the clinical efficacy of porcine small intestinal submucosal acellular matrix biological mesh and self-gripping synthetic polypropylene mesh in Lichtenstein repair of inguinal hernia.

The clinical data of 96 patients with primary unilateral inguinal hernia who underwent Lichtenstein repair in the Department of Gastrointestinal and Hernia Surgery of Tianjin Nankai Hospital from May 2019 to April 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into the SIS group (using the porcine small intestinal submucosal acellular matrix biological mesh) and the SGPP group (using the self-gripping synthetic polypropylene mesh) according to the different repair materials. The general conditions, surgical conditions, and postoperative complications of the two groups were compared, and the safety and clinical efficacy of the two repair materials were evaluated.

There were 46 cases in the SIS group and 50 cases in the SGPP group. There was no significant difference in the general data between the two groups (P>0.05). The operation time in the SIS group was significantly longer than that in the SGPP group [(62.61±6.89) min vs (59.60±5.13) min. t=2.438, P=0.017]. There was no significant difference between the two groups in hospital stay, pain score on the first postoperative day, seroma, incision infection, recurrence, chronic pain, and mesh infection (P>0.05).

Compared with the self-gripping synthetic polypropylene mesh, the porcine small intestinal submucosal acellular matrix biological mesh has the same clinical efficacy and safety in Lichtenstein repair of inguinal hernia in adults, but its long-term efficacy still needs to be further studied.