Effect of ligamentum teres uteri preservation in laparoscopic high hernia sac ligation in children with indirect inguinal hernia

BACKGROUND Routinely separating the ligamentum teres uteri (LTU) intraoperatively remains an unresolved issue for female children undergoing surgery for indirect inguinal hernia (IIH). AIM To identify the effect of LTU preservation in laparoscopic high hernia sac ligation (LHSL) in children with IIH. METHODS The participants were 100 female children with unilateral IIH admitted from April 2022 to January 2024 to the Pediatric Surgery Department of Zhangzhou Municipal Hospital of Fujian Province. They were categorized based on LTU retention into the control group (n = 45 cases), which underwent LTU ligation intraoperatively, and the experimental group (55 cases), which had the LTU preserved intraoperatively. All children underwent LHSL. RESULTS This study comparatively analyzed the operation time, hospitalization time, blood loss, postoperative recurrence rate, and complications (repeated pain in the inguinal region, foreign body sensation in the inguinal region, bloody exudation at the inguinal incision, and incision infection), which were all comparable between the two groups. CONCLUSION The above results indicate that LTU preservation during LHSL exerts certain therapeutic benefits for children with IIH. LTU preservation does not increase hospitalization time, blood loss, postoperative recurrence rate, and complications, which is safe and feasible, compared with conventional LTU ligation. LHSL with LTU preservation should be performed if conditions permit, which is worth popularizing.