Inguinal hernia is a common problem affecting infants in the NICU. As a group, preterm infants have the highest incidence of inguinal hernia and this risk increases as gestational age decreases. The etiopathologic factors leading to the development of an inguinal hernia are not clear and interventions to alter these factors have not been thoroughly investigated. Diagnosis of an inguinal hernia is often straightforward, but occasionally it may be difficult to determine if the hernia is strangulated or simply obstructed. Rarely, investigative modalities, such as ultrasonography, may be needed to rule out other potential causes. The ideal timing of surgical repair in this population is unknown and complicated by comorbid conditions and limited randomized controlled trials. During surgery, the choice of regional versus general anesthesia requires a team-based approach and studies have found that greater clinical experience is associated with lower morbidity. The techniques of hernia surgery range from open to laparoscopic repair and have been investigated in small prospective studies, while larger databases have been used to analyze outcomes retrospectively.
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June 2020
Articles|
June 01 2020
Inguinal Hernia in Premature Infants
Venkataraman Ramachandran, MD;
Venkataraman Ramachandran, MD
Departments of *Surgery,
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Charles F. Edwards, MD;
Charles F. Edwards, MD
†Anesthesiology, and
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Dana C. Bichianu, MD
Dana C. Bichianu, MD
‡Child Health, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
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AUTHOR DISCLOSURE
Drs Ramachandran, Edwards, and Bichianu have disclosed no financial relationships relevant to this article. This commentary does not contain a discussion of an unapproved/investigative use of a commercial product/device.
Neoreviews (2020) 21 (6): e392–e403.
Citation
Venkataraman Ramachandran, Charles F. Edwards, Dana C. Bichianu; Inguinal Hernia in Premature Infants. Neoreviews June 2020; 21 (6): e392–e403. https://doi.org/10.1542/neo.21-6-e392
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