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NCT Number: NCT05378451

Totally Extraperitoneal Repair of Groin Hernia in Liver Transplanted Patients

Liver transplant recipients share the risk with cirrhotic patients for the development of inguinal hernias, but their liver failure pathophysiology has reversed following transplantation. Despite immunosuppression alters wound healing and infections, inguinal hernia repair in transplanted patients has shown better outcome compared to cirrhotic patients. Endoscopic inguinal hernia techniques have proved to be superior to open repair, due to lower incidence of postoperative complications and short-term convalescence, but there is no evidence of the use of this approach in liver transplanted patients. This prospective consecutive case series study will be the first study to describe the postoperative results of groin hernia repair in ambulatory surgery regimen in liver transplanted patients using totally extraperitoneal approach. The included patients will be prospectively registered in a standardized database. Rate of completion of surgery by totally extraperitoneal approach without the needing of conversion to anterior open approach or transabdominal preperitoneal approach due technical difficulties will be evaluated. Postoperative complications all along with quality standards criteria of ambulatory surgery will be reported for descriptive purposes.

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Key information

Conditions

Liver Transplant Disorder Digestive System Diseases Fibrosis Groin Hernia Hernia Hernia, Abdominal Hernia, Inguinal Liver Cirrhosis Liver Diseases Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Anatomical Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Hospital Clinic of Barcelona

Barcelona, 08036, Spain

About this study

This will be a single center prospective consecutive case series study. Liver transplanted patients diagnosed of groin hernia will be operated using endoscopic totally extraperitoneal approach in ambulatory surgery regimen. Main objective will be to evaluate the rate of completion of surgery by totally extraperitoneal approach without the needing of conversion to anterior open approach or transabdominal preperitoneal approach due technical difficulties. Secondary objectives will be to record postoperative complications all along with quality standards criteria of ambulatory surgery.

The sample size could not be formally calculated as this is a pilot study. It is the first time that the surgical team has considered this type of surgical approach and we wish to evaluate the feasibility of this technique. Since in our center the number of surgical procedures of groin hernia in liver transplanted patients could be around 20 per year, for this pilot study we propose recruiting between 15-20 patients. The results will be representative of this type of surgical activities in a tertiary university hospital.

Liver transplanted patients diagnosed with groin hernia planned to undergo ambulatory surgical repair will be considered for being included in the study after informed consent. Perioperative management will be provided as determined by the local clinical practice without modifications due to study inclusion.The included patients will be prospectively registered in a standardized database. Background information and details regarding the surgery will be retrieved from the patients' medical records.

Information regarding postoperative complications will be collected up to 30 days after surgery. Following routine clinical practice, including telephonic contact on first postoperative 24h, clinical control follow up at 10 days and at month after the surgery.

This case series has been reported in line with the PROCESS Guideline.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Patients older than 18 years of age.
  • Liver transplanted patients diagnosed from groin hernia and proposed for ambulatory surgery.
  • Signed informed consent for inclusion in the study

Exclusion criteria

  • Patients under 18 years of age.
  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
  • Inability to give informed consent.
  • Patients not candidates for surgical treatment.
  • Contraindication to general anesthesia.
  • Procedures performed in an emergency setting.
  • Patients non tributary to ambulatory surgery due to anesthesia management (ASA>III or decompensation in the last 3 months)
  • Impossibility for the care of a responsible adult during first 24 hours after surgery.
  • Domicile at a distance of more than 1 hour by vehicle from the hospital.
  • Previous posterior approach for hernia repair.
  • Previous cystectomy and prostatectomy surgery.

Treatment and study plan

Totally Extraperitoneal Groin Hernia Repair

Procedure

Patients will undergo totally extraperitoneal groin hernia repair, by a single senior experimented surgeon and without modifications from the routine clinical practice due to study inclusion. TEP approach will be assessed by placement of 3 trocars in the lower midline. Preperitoneal space will be dissected under direct vision using Spacemaker Dissection Balloon (Applied Medical®). Systematic complete dissection of the myopectineal orifice, Retzius and Bogros spaces will be performed to identify all potential sites of hernia formation. It will be used a laparoscopic self-fixating mesh (ProGrip™). Preperitoneal instillation of local anesthesia (15 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine) will be placed placed by the surgeon under direct visualization into "triangle of pain". Local anesthesia (levobupivacaine 10mL 1%) will be applied in all the incisions.

Other names: TEP

Primary outcomes

  1. Rate of completion of surgery by totally extraperitoneal approach

    Time frame: 0 days (intraoperative)

    Rate of completion of surgery by totally extraperitoneal approach without the needing of conversion to anterior open approach or transabdominal preperitoneal approach due technical difficulties.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Rate of intraoperative complications

    Time frame: 0 days (intraoperative)

    Register intraoperative complications (intestinal lesions, urinary bladder lesions, major vascular lesions...)

  2. Rate of postoperative complications

    Time frame: 30 days (postoperative)

    Register postoperative complications (acute urinary retention, urinary infection, hematoma, seroma, surgical wound infection...)

  3. Pain measurement

    Time frame: 10 days (postoperative).

    Control of pain assessed by Visual Analogue Score (at time of discharge, first postoperative day and after 10 days of surgery).

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Hospital Clinic of Barcelona

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Totally Extraperitoneal Repair of Groin Hernia in Liver Transplanted Patients: a Case Series Study. (TOHER)

Acronym: TOHER

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2023
Study completion
2024
First posted
May 18, 2022
Registry last updated
Mar 20, 2024

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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