The impact of nerve management on the risk for persistent postoperative pain one year after open anterior mesh inguinal hernia repair

In a setting where the nerves are handled according to the surgeon's intraoperative judgement focusing on identifying and/or preserving the nerves, there was no association between intraoperative management of the three inguinal nerves and the risk for persistent postoperative pain one year after surgery. While careful tissue handling is crucial to the avoidance of postoperative pain, pragmatic nerve resection did not increase the risk for persistent pain one year after surgery.