Background/aim: Use of electrocautery in surgery for the skin incisions is rapidly gain popularity but still most surgeons are in doubt and fear of complications like scarring of tissues, post operative pain, wound infection and poor Cosmesis. Aim of this prospective study was to compare the outcome of electrocautery incisions versus scalpel incisions in open inguinal hernia surgery with regard to early postoperative pain, postoperative wound infection rate and scar assessment. 

Material and Methods: A prospective randomized study of 50 patients with inguinal hernia undergoing mesh repair was carried out over a period of one year. Patients were divided equally in to two groups. In Group A skin incision was taken with electrocautery, and in Group B incision was taken with scalpel. Postoperative pain, wound complication and requirement of analgesic and Cosmesis were compared between the two groups.

Results: The post-operative pain is significantly less in electrocautery group. The requirement of analgesics dose were (mean 1.08 and 2.6) in electrocautery and scalpel group respectively which is significantly more with scalpel group. Only one case of seroma was noted in scalpel group while electrocautery group didn‘t had any complications, the difference was not statistically significant. Cosmesis was better in electrocautery incisions; Manchester scar score was higher in the group II.

Conclusion: Electrocautery incision is safe, less time consuming with less blood loss during inguinal hernia surgery and produces less postoperative pain no postoperative wound infection and better in term of Cosmesis.