CONTEXT Many men with an inguinal hernia have minimal symptoms. Whether deferring operation is safe and a good option for some patients has not been assessed.
OBJECTIVE To compare pain and the Physical Component Score (PCS) of the SF-36 at two years in men with minimally symptomatic inguinal hernias randomized to watchful waiting (WW) or a standard tension-free hernia repair (TFR).
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS. Between January, 1999 and December, 2004 we conducted a multicenter trial of 720 men (364 WW, 356 TFR) who were followed for 2-4.5 years. Men were excluded with hernia pain interfering with activities; undetectable hernias; infection; American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status \>3; recent difficulty in reducing the hernia.
INTERVENTIONS Men assigned to WW were followed at 6 months and annually and watched for hernia symptoms. Men assigned to operation received TFR, and were followed at 3 and 6 months, and annually.
