Background: Postoperative seroma is the most common minor complication after inguinal hernia repair surgery and can have negative consequences. The objective of this study was to identify potential risk factors for postoperative seroma.
Methods: This study consecutively included 354 elderly patients with inguinal hernia who underwent laparoscopic Transabdominal preperitoneal Patch Plasty (TAPP). Seroma diagnosis was conducted by the same experienced surgeon based on the physical examinations combined with ultrasound. Risk factors for seroma were identified through univariate analysis and subsequently included in the binary multivariate logistic regression model.
Results: A total of 40 patients experienced postoperative complications of seroma, with an incidence rate of 11.3% (40/354). The binary logistic regression analysis revealed that obesity (OR: 2.98, 95% CI: 1.20– 7.41, P = 0.018), disease duration ≥ 4.5 years (OR: 4.88, 95% CI: 2.14– 11.18, P < 0.001), albumin-fibrinogen ratio (AFR) level < 9.25 (OR: 6.13, 95% CI: 2.00– 18.76, P = 0.001), and modified frailty index (mFI) score ≥ 0.225 (OR: 6.38, 95% CI: 2.69– 15.10, P < 0.001) were four independent risk factors for postoperative seroma.
Conclusion: Obesity, prolonged disease duration, decreased AFR level, and increased mFI score independently predict postoperative seroma after laparoscopic TAPP.
Keywords: inguinal hernia, Transabdominal preperitoneal Patch Plasty, modified frailty index, albumin-fibrinogen ratio, risk factor