Background: Inguinal hernia repair is one of the most commonly performed general surgical procedures. Although Lichtenstein hernioplasty is widely accepted as a tension-free mesh repair, Modified Bassini’s repair remains relevant in selected patients and resource-limited settings. This study compared the short-term outcomes of Modified Bassini’s repair and Lichtenstein hernioplasty in patients undergoing primary inguinal hernia surgery.

Methods: This prospective observational comparative study included 140 patients with primary inguinal hernia, divided equally into Modified Bassini’s repair and Lichtenstein hernioplasty groups. Demographic profile, clinical characteristics, operative duration, postoperative pain using Visual Analogue Scale, surgical site infection, seroma, hematoma, overall complications, hospital stay, return to normal activity, patient satisfaction, and predictors of postoperative complications were analyzed.

Results: Modified Bassini’s repair had significantly shorter operative duration than Lichtenstein hernioplasty (43.82 ± 7.64 minutes vs 54.74 ± 8.15 minutes; p < 0.001). However, Lichtenstein hernioplasty showed significantly lower postoperative pain scores at 12, 24, and 48 hours (p < 0.001). Hematoma formation and overall postoperative complications were significantly higher in the Modified Bassini’s repair group (p < 0.05). Hospital stay was shorter after Lichtenstein hernioplasty (4.38 ± 1.11 days vs 5.86 ± 1.42 days; p < 0.001), and return to normal activity was earlier (15.26 ± 4.37 days vs 20.42 ± 5.18 days; p < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, age >40 years, BMI >25 kg/m², smoking, diabetes mellitus, operative duration >50 minutes, and Modified Bassini’s repair were independent predictors of postoperative complications.