Pain following the repair of an abdominal hernia

Pain and other types of discomfort are frequent symptoms following the repair of an abdominal hernia. After 1 year, the incidence of light to moderate pain following inguinal hernia repair is as high as 10% and 2% for severe disabling chronic pain. Postoperative chronic pain not only affects the individual patient, but may also have a great impact on relatives and society, and may be a cause of concern for the responsible surgeon. This paper provides an overview of the anatomy, surgical procedures, and disposing factors (age, gender, ethnicity, genotype, previous hernia repair, pain prior to surgery, psychosocial characteristics, and surgical procedures) related to the postoperative pain conditions. Furthermore, the mechanisms for both acute and chronic pain are presented. We focus on inguinal hernia repair, which is the most frequent type of abdominal hernia surgery that leads to chronic pain. Finally, the paper provides an update on the diagnostic and treatment routines for postoperative pain.