Postoperative inguinal pain and disability after Lichtenstein versus ONSTEP hernia repair: analysis of responses to the inguinal pain questionnaire in Spanish

Purpose To validate the Inguinal Pain Questionnaire (IPQ) in the Spanish Language and test its use in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of hernia repair using the Lichtenstein technique vs. the ONSTEP technique. We simplified the IPQ using a principal component analysis (PCA) approach as a secondary objective. Methods The IPQ was translated into Spanish and validated in a cohort of 21 patients. Thereafter, 40 patients were randomized to undergo hernia repair by the Lichtenstein technique or the ONSTEP technique. IPQ and pain visual analogue (VAS) score trends over time were compared using a repeated-measures mixed-effects model. Results The Spanish version of the IPQ showed an internal consistency similar to that of the original score. No significant differences were found in the IPQ responses, pain VAS, or the rate of self-reported pain between patients who underwent the Lichtenstein technique and those who underwent the ONSTEP technique. Following PCA analysis, the number of items on the IPQ was reduced from 18 to 10. Conclusions The Spanish version of the IPQ measures postoperative inguinal pain adequately. Based on our findings, the ONSTEP technique was not superior to the Lichtenstein technique. The simplified version of the IPQ is not significantly different from the full version and it is easier to complete.