SynthesisHernia : the journal of hernias and abdominal wall surgery2017
Male infertility following inguinal hernia repair: a systematic review and pooled analysis.
Synthesis in Hernia : the journal of hernias and abdominal wall surgery, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 37 citations in OpenAlex.
- Potential causes and associated conditions with anti-sperm antibody production among infertile males: a systematic literature review.BMC immunology · 2025Pooled it
- Sexual dysfunction between laparoscopic and open inguinal hernia repair: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Langenbeck's archives of surgery · 2023Pooled it
- TEP for elective primary unilateral inguinal hernia repair in men: what do we know?Hernia : the journal of hernias and abdominal wall surgery · 2019Pooled it
- Does the use of hernia mesh in surgical inguinal hernia repairs cause male infertility? A systematic review and descriptive analysis.Reproductive health · 2018Pooled it
- Bilateral inguinal hernia repair and male fertility: a randomized clinical trial comparing Lichtenstein versus laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) technique.Surgical endoscopy · 2023Trial
- Comprehensive Fertility Management After Pituitary Adenoma Surgery: Lessons from a Rural Japanese Case and Practical Review.Reports (MDPI) · 2025Article
- Functional histology of human scrotal wall layers and their overlooked relation with infertility: a narrative review.International journal of impotence research · 2023Review
- Could polypropylene mesh impair male reproductive organs? Experimental study with different methods of implantation.Hernia : the journal of hernias and abdominal wall surgery · 2020Article
- Bilateral endoscopic totally extraperitoneal (TEP) inguinal hernia repair does not impair male fertility.Hernia : the journal of hernias and abdominal wall surgery · 2017Observational
- Choice of Repairing Inguinal Hernia in Children: Open Versus Laparoscopy.Indian journal of pediatrics · 2017Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionThe aim of this systematic review is to establish the clinical impact of open (mesh and/or without mesh) and laparoscopic hernia repair (transabdominal pre-peritoneal (TAP) and/or totally extra-peritoneal (TEP)) on male fertility. The incidence of male infertility following various types of inguinal hernia repair is currently unknown. The lack of high-quality evidence has led to various speculations, suggestions and reliance on anecdotal experience in the clinical practice.
methodsAn electronic search of the literature in Medline, Scopus, Embase and Cochrane library from 1966 to October 2015 according to PRISMA checklist was conducted. Quality assessment of articles was conducted using the Oxford Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) and their recommendation for practice was examined through National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). This resulted in ten studies (n = 10), comprising 35,740 patients.
resultsSperm motility could be affected following any type and/or technique of inguinal hernia repair but this is limited to the immediate postoperative period (≤48 h). Obstructive azoospermia was noted in 0.03% of open and 2.5% of bilateral laparoscopic (TAP) hernia repair with mesh. Male infertility was detected in 0.8% of the open hernia repair (mesh) with no correlation to the type of mesh (lightweight vs. heavyweight).
conclusionInguinal hernia repair without mesh has no impact on male fertility and obstructive azoospermia. However, the use of mesh in bilateral open and/or laparoscopic repair may require the inclusion of male infertility as the part of informed consent in individuals that have not completed their family or currently under investigations.
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Registered trials
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.