Background: Chronic inguinal neuralgia and post-operative sexual dysfunction are some of the significant complication following inguinal hernia repair. Routine ilioinguinal neurectomy has been proposed to avoid this complication.The aim of this study was to prospectively compare post-operative sexual function and pain in patients undergoing inguinal hernia surgical repair with or without excision of the ilio-inguinal nerve. Routine ilioinguinal neurectomy has been proposed as a means to avoid this complication. Materials and Methods: About 56 patients with a unilateral inguinal hernia underwent an open tension free repair with mesh implantation (“Lichenstein” technique). The ilio-inguinal nerve was identified and was either preserved or divided. Patients were asked to answer a pretested standardized questionnaire about their sexual function preoperatively, 3 months postoperatively and every 6 months afterwards during the follow up and postoperative pain was assessed by visual analogue scale. Results: About 20% of the patients in both groups reported an improvement of their pre-operative sexual disorders. New sexual functional symptoms were reported significantly more in the preservation group compared to the excision group. Six months after surgery the number of patients with functional sexual symptoms was lower in both groups but significantly higher in the preservation group. Groin Pain score was comparatively less during 1 month, when nerve is excised where as there was no statistically significant decrease was seen in groin pain at 6 month between the groups. Conclusion: Although results are nearly similar in both groups, routine ilio inguinal neurectomy has no major complications and reduces the intensity of groin pain and early recovery of sexual functions in the early postoperative periods and reduces the risk of ilio inguinal nerve entrapment under the mesh, sutures, staples and reduces the incidence of chronic inguinodynia.

Keywords: Hernia; Hernia; Ilio inguinal Nerve; Neuralgia; Neurectomy; Sexual functions.