Turkish version of the Carolinas comfort scale: Validation and long-term clinical outcomes after mesh-based inguinal hernia repair.

OBJECTIVE: Mesh-based inguinal hernia repair has reduced recurrence rates; however, long-term postoperative symptoms remain clinically relevant. The Carolinas comfort scale (CCS) is a disease-specific tool developed to assess these outcomes. This study aimed to validate the Turkish version of the CCS and evaluate long-term quality of life. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The CCS was translated and culturally adapted using standardized procedures. A retrospective cohort of patients who underwent elective inguinal hernia repair with mesh between 2018 and 2020 was analyzed. Reliability, validity, and factor structure were evaluated using established statistical methods. RESULTS: A total of 85 patients were included, with a median follow-up of 79 months. The Turkish CCS demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's α=0.952), strong convergent validity with VAS (ρ=0.952, p<0.001), and significant discriminative validity for chronic pain (p<0.001). The recurrence and chronic pain rates were 10.6% and 35.3%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The Turkish version of the CCS is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing long-term outcomes after mesh-based inguinal hernia repair and can be used in both clinical practice and research.