What to do about pediatric inguinal hernia

Pediatric inguinal hernia are all oblique hernia, almost no straight hernia, according to statistics, the incidence of inguinal hernia in preterm infants can be as high as 9% to 11%, while the incidence of inguinal hernia in full-term newborns is only 3.5% to 5.0%; the incidence of boys is 8-10 times higher than that of girls, and unilateral and bilateral hernias can occur, and the literature reports that about 55% of the patients with low birth weight have bilateral inguinal hernias, and 44% of the patients with preterm infants have bilateral hernias, while bilateral hernias in mature infants are only 8% to 10% of the total incidence. In the literature, bilateral inguinal hernias are reported in about 55% of low birth weight infants and 44% of preterm infants, while bilateral hernias in mature infants are only 8-10% of the total incidence. Failure of the peritoneal sheath (Nuck’s canal) to atretic degeneration is the pathologic basis of pediatric inguinal hernias. The testicular primordium originates from the mesonephric kidney in the fifth week of the embryo and is located in the retroperitoneum next to the second to third lumbar vertebrae. In the 8th week the testis is formed, in the 12th week the middle kidney degenerates, thereafter the testis gradually descends with the development of the embryo, in the 28th week the testicular lead is formed, connecting the lower pole of the testis and the scrotum, with the pull of the lead and the transmission of intra-peritoneal pressure, the testis descends, passing through the inner ring of the inguinal canal, the outer ring of the mouth of the scrotum, the peritoneum protrudes outward with the testicular descent in the inner ring of the mouth forming a diverticulosis-like tubular protrusion called sheath. It is called the sheath-like protrusion. Under normal conditions, the distal part of the sheath-like protrusion surrounds the testis to form the intrinsic sheath membrane of the testis, which is pulled into the scrotum after the testis exits the external ring. When the testis has descended completely, the sphincter is atretic and degenerates. If the syringomyelia is not completely closed, then a hiatal hernia or syringomyelia can form. Pediatric syringomyelia differs from congenital inguinal hernia, however, in that the unclosed peritoneal syringomyelia is narrower, distally dilated, and fluid only, whereas the unclosed syringomyelia of inguinal hernia is wider, and there is intestinal tubing or other abdominal contents coming out. In girls, the inguinal canal contains the round ligament, from the uterus to the labia majora, in the equivalent of the male fetal testis descending, there is also a peritoneal sheath-like protrusion, called Nuck’s canal; along the round ligament through the inguinal canal descending into the labia majora, the closure is the same as in boys. If the descent process of testis is abnormal, it can stay in the inner ring of the inguinal canal, the inner or outer ring of the canal, then different degrees of incomplete descent occurs, i.e. cryptorchidism. Cryptorchidism is often combined with atresia of the syringomyelia, so there are signs of cryptorchidism, hiatal hernia or syringomyelia. With an inguinal hernia, a swollen sac may appear above the scrotum (labia majora) or in the inguinal area when the child exerts abdominal pressure, caused by an organ in the abdominal cavity that has passed through the peritoneum into the hernia sac. The most common object that enters the hernia sac is the small intestine, and in girls it can be the ovaries or uterus. This appearance of a swollen sac above the scrotum (labia majora) and in the groin area can occur with the first cry after birth or a few months after the child is born. When the child cries, the swelling at the scrotum bulges due to increased abdominal pressure, and the lump can often disappear when the child is quiet. Generally hernias do not cause other infections or fever. However, gradually the swelling will gradually increase, not self-reduction time will be gradually extended, if the mass stuck and can not return to the original position, it will occur incarcerated, causing pain, vomiting, crying and restlessness, when the hernia incarcerated, if not given in a timely manner to return the hernia, it will make the hernia into the sac of the intestines occur intestinal necrosis, such as toxins absorbed can cause high fever, shock, serious and life-threatening. Therefore, if a hernia incarcerated and failed to return it immediately, you should immediately send the child to the hospital for treatment. Theoretically, the pediatric abdominal wall with the growth and development, strength increases, inguinal hernia has the possibility of self-healing, clinical also see a few cases of self-healing, but waiting for self-healing is not desirable, taking medicine is impossible, should be treated as soon as possible surgery. Now generally advocate the age of surgery to 6 to 12 months is appropriate, where repeated incarceration should not be subject to age limitations, especially newborns, because of the thin intestinal wall, once the incarceration occurs, should not be manipulated to reset, emergency surgery. Pediatric inguinal hernia is generally simple hernia sac high ligation, such as huge hernia with abdominal wall weakness, feasible Ferguson hernia repair. Laparoscopic high inguinal hernia ligation can be directly transabdominal suture internal ring mouth, without destroying the anatomical structure of the inguinal area, without destroying the testicular muscle, without freeing the spermatic cord, and laparoscopic internal ring mouth and the blood vessels around the internal ring mouth, vas deferens are clearly visible, the operation can be avoided due to vascular and nerve damage and lead to ischemic testicular inflammation occurs, but also can be examined at the same time and find the existence of the other side of the occult hernia, has the advantages of the conventional surgery! It has the superiority of conventional surgery which is incomparable. However, in the clinical application of pediatric inguinal hernia treatment, it is found that the standard laparoscopic instruments are thick (10mm in diameter), and there are at least three operating holes in the abdominal wall during the operation, so the advantages of applying it to pediatric inguinal hernia are not prominent compared with the traditional surgery. Now there are miniature or needle laparoscopic surgery, its injury is small, fewer complications, no scar after surgery, the efficacy is satisfactory, for the parents of children to accept and welcome. However, sliding hernia, huge hernia and incarcerated hernia are not suitable for this method. Hernia belt therapy is the application of hernia belt compression of the inner ring and inguinal area, thus preventing the hernia content from herniation, waiting for the peritoneal sheath to continue to be occluded after birth, in order to increase the chance of hernia “healing”. Because the infant hernia belt is not easy to fix, easy to be urine and fecal stains, and can be compressed or abrasion of the skin; long-term use of not only the hernia neck is often subjected to friction to become fat and tough and increase the incidence of incarcerated hernia, and even affect the testicular blood, or lead to the inguinal canal of localized adhesions to increase the surgical difficulties and complications. Therefore, it has been basically not used. Injection therapy is to inject adhesive or sclerosing agent into the inguinal canal (such as glycerol carbolic acid, compound quinine), causing hernia sac or hernia sac neck surrounding the tissue of aseptic inflammation, the formation of adhesions and hernia sac closure method. The method has the following disadvantages: ① can not fundamentally close the hernia neck firmly, with the increase in abdominal pressure, the closed hernia neck may be flushed open; ② sclerosing agent into the abdominal cavity is prone to cause peritonitis, intestinal adhesions or intestinal necrosis; ③ easy to lead to the vas deferens and blood vessel adhesion, injury; ④ inguinal canal local scar tissue contraction of testicular upward shrinkage of the testicles incurred in the medical origin of cryptorchidism, affecting the development of testes; ⑤ inguinal canal localized formation of scarring and The difficulty of surgery and the incidence of surgical complications increase greatly if the injection treatment is ineffective and surgery is needed. Therefore, this method has been abandoned.