Comparison of Single-Port Percutaneous Extraperitoneal Repair and Three-Port Mini-Laparoscopic Repair for Pediatric Inguinal Hernia

Aim: Laparoscopy has been widely used in surgical practice in pediatric age, and many techniques for laparoscopic hernia repair have been described till now. In this study, we compared two laparoscopic techniques performed by two surgeons; each surgeon practicing only one of the two techniques. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on the surgical charts, enrolling 71 patients with uncomplicated inguinal hernia. Patients were divided into two groups according to the type of surgery: (Group A, 24 patients aged 2 months-8 years) laparoscopic percutaneous internal ring suturing technique and (Group B, 47 patients aged 35 days-12 years) three-port mini-laparoscopic technique. The hernia sac was ligated at the level of internal ring, using nonabsorbable 4/0-3/0 suture. Any unexpected contralateral opening was repaired in the same manner for both groups. Follow-up period was 4 months-2 years and 9 months-8 years, respectively. Operative time and complications were analyzed. Results: Operation time (19.587.06 minutes versus 35.87 +/- 10.34 minutes, P<.001) was shorter in the percutaneous repair group. However, when subdivided by unilateral and bilateral presentation, only unilateral operative time was shorter compared to three-port group. There were no recurrences in Group A, while two recurrences occurred in Group B during the learning curve period. A contralateral opening accompanied the presenting unilateral hernia in 3 cases for Group A and 16 for Group B. One patient had to be converted open resulting from epigastric vessel injury, and postop hydrocele formation was seen in another in Group A. No intraoperative complications were seen in Group B. Conclusion: The overall experience shows that laparoscopic repair is a reliable approach regardless of the chosen technique. Percutaneous repair seems to be a less invasive method with shorter operative time, but it is not free of complications according to this series.