To investigate the necessity of salt bag compression after laparoscopic and open tension-free hernia repair, and to review its influence on prognosis.

The clinical data of 258 patients with typeⅠ-Ⅲ inguinal hernia admitted to the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region People's Hospital from October 2014 to August 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. Of these, 165 cases underwent laparoscopic tension-free hernia repair (laparoscopic group), and 107 cases were treated with salt bag compression; 93 cases underwent Lichtenstein repair (open group), and 68 cases treated with salt bag compression. Compare the two groups of patients with the postoperative ambulation time, postoperative pain score, postoperative incision infection, edema of the scrotum or labia majora, subjective feelings and so on.

There was no perioperative deaths and serious complications during perioperative period in these two groups. In open group, the patients who treated with salt bag compression were superior to those without salt bag compression in postoperative pain score, edema of the scrotum or labia majora and subjective feelings. The difference was statistically significant (t=4.639、χ²=6.934、F=3.376, P=0.024、0.008、0.039). There was no significant difference in the postoperative ambulation time and the incidence of postoperative incision infection (t=1.294、χ²=0.463, P=0.121、0.496). There was no significant difference in above indicators between the patients who treated with salt bag compression and non-salt bag compression in the laparoscopic group (t=1.149、1.396、χ²=0.196、1.739、F=0.370, P=0.217、0.084、0.658、0.187、0.692). Compared to the patients who treated with salt bag compression, laparoscopic group was better in postoperative pain score and subjective feelings than open group. The difference was statistically significant (t=3.963、F=4.869, P=0.044、0.009). However, there was no significant difference in the postoperative ambulation time, postoperative incision infection and edema of the scrotum or labia majora (t=0.417、χ²=2.251、1.114, P=0.562、0.134、0.291).

For open tension-free hernia repair, postoperative salt bag compression can reduce postoperative pain, effectively prevent scrotum or labia majora edema, and improve the patient's subjective feeling. But for laparoscopic tension-free hernia repair, postoperative salt bag compression has little effect on the prognosis.