ArticleSurgical endoscopy2013
The incidence and natural course of occult inguinal hernias during TAPP repair: repair is beneficial.
Article in Surgical endoscopy, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07461558 (WATCH IT TRIAL WAtchful Waiting Versus immediaTe Repair for Occult Contralateral Hernias Found During MIS Inguinal Hernia Repair Trial.), which is not on this map. Cited by 35 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
WATCH IT TRIAL WAtchful Waiting Versus immediaTe Repair for Occult Contralateral Hernias Found During MIS Inguinal Hernia Repair Trial.
Who cites it
35 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 54 citations in OpenAlex.
- Should occult contralateral inguinal hernias be repaired during unilateral TAPP? A systematic review and single-arm meta-analysis.Hernia : the journal of hernias and abdominal wall surgery · 2026Pooled it
- Should asymptomatic contralateral inguinal hernia be laparoscopically repaired in the adult population as benefits greatly outweigh risks? A systematic review and meta-analysis.Hernia : the journal of hernias and abdominal wall surgery · 2022Pooled it
- Pooled it
- International guidelines for groin hernia management.Hernia : the journal of hernias and abdominal wall surgery · 2018Guideline
- Watchful waiting versus totally extraperitoneal (TEP) hernia repair for occult inguinal hernia and pain (EFFECT trial)-a multicenter, non-inferiority, randomized controlled trial.Surgical endoscopy · 2025Trial
- Minimizing complications following transinguinal preperitoneal modified Kugel mesh herniorrhaphy: a double blind prospective randomized clinical trial.Scientific reports · 2022Trial
- Clinical outcomes of concurrent repair of occult contralateral inguinal hernias during TAPP: a retrospective cohort study.Frontiers in surgery · 2026Article
- Should occult hernia be repaired in TAPP?Surgical endoscopy · 2025Article
- Laparoscopic repair of recurrent inguinal hernia via a contralateral high-peritoneal-incision approach: a case report.Journal of surgical case reports · 2025Article
- Article
- Comparison of laparoscopic iliopubic tract repair and transabdominal preperitoneal hernioplasty for contralateral occult inguinal hernia.Hernia : the journal of hernias and abdominal wall surgery · 2025Observational
- Incidence and clinical characteristics of occult inguinal hernias: a retrospective analysis of laparoscopic repair.Hernia : the journal of hernias and abdominal wall surgery · 2025Article
- Article
- Predictive model for contralateral inguinal hernia repair within three years of primary repair: a nationwide population-based cohort study.Surgical endoscopy · 2024Article
- Laparoscopic totally extraperitoneal hernia repair in patients with a history of previous abdominopelvic surgery.Updates in surgery · 2024Article
- Laparoscopic iliopubic tract repair for asymptomatic contralateral occult inguinal hernia.Hernia : the journal of hernias and abdominal wall surgery · 2024Article
- Tailored treatment of female indirect inguinal hernias by using single-port laparoscopic percutaneous internal ring suture: a comparison between children and adults.Hernia : the journal of hernias and abdominal wall surgery · 2024Article
- The clinical implications of occult inguinal hernia identified during laparoscopic peritoneal dialysis catheter insertion.Surgical endoscopy · 2024Article
- Natural history of occult hernias in adults at a safety-net hospital.Hernia : the journal of hernias and abdominal wall surgery · 2023Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundOne of the proposed advantages of laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair is complimentary inspection of the contralateral side and possible detection of occult hernias. Incidence of occult contralateral hernias is as high as 50 %. The natural course of such occult defects is unknown and therefore operative rationale is lacking. This study was designed to analyze the incidence of occult contralateral inguinal hernias and its natural course.
methodsA total of 1,681 patients were diagnosed preoperatively with unilateral inguinal hernia. None of these patients had complaints of the contralateral side preoperatively. All patients underwent laparoscopic inguinal hernia transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) repair. Operative details were analyzed retrospectively. Patients with occult contralateral defects were identified and tracked. Patients with an evident occult hernia received immediate repair. Patients with a smaller beginning or incipient hernia were followed.
resultsIn 218 (13 %) patients, an occult hernia was found at the contralateral side during preoperative exploration. In 129 (8 %) patients, an occult true hernia was found. In 89 (5 %) patients, an occult incipient hernia was found. An incipient hernia was defined as a beginning hernia. All patients with an incipient hernia were followed. The mean follow-up was 112 (range 16-218) months. Twenty-eight (32 %) patients were lost to follow-up. In the 61 remaining patients, 13 (21 %) occult incipient hernias became symptomatic requiring repair. The mean time between primary repair and development of a symptomatic hernia on the contralateral side was 88 (range 24-210) months.
conclusionsThis study shows that the incidence of occult contralateral hernias is 13 % during TAPP repair of unilateral diagnosed inguinal hernias. In 5 % of the cases, the occult hernia consisted of a beginning hernia. Eventually, one of five will become symptomatic and require repair. These outcomes support immediate repair of occult defects, no matter its size.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.