A Comparison between Open and Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair in Children

Introduction & The standard management of inguinal hernia in children is surgical repair. It is the most common surgical procedure in children. Although the conventional open techniques still remain the cornerstone of inguinal hernia repair, but the advantages of laparoscopic procedure makes it a valuable alternative. Patients who underwent inguinal hernia repair by one surgeon were randomly categorized into two groups of open and laparoscopic repair. Each group involved 45 patients. Patients were evaluated one day, one week, and 3 months after the surgery. Surgical site infection, post-operative chronic pain and hydrocele, testicular swelling, scar size, and operation duration were surveyed for both groups. The data was analyzed with t-test and chi-square test. Ninety patients (73 males and 17 females) which were divided in two groups of 45, were evaluated. The mean age of patients in open and laparoscopic groups was 4.74±4.1 and 5.02±3.89 years respectively. Fifty (61%) patients had right, 26 (29%) left, and 9 (10%) bilateral inguinal hernia. Testicular swelling prevalence and scar size were significantly higher in open group (P=0.000). No evidence of infection or hydrocele was found in these two groups. The surgical procedure duration was significantly longer in laparoscopic repair (P=0.000). It is concluded that laparoscopic procedure could be an appropriate alternative for open ‎techniques in the cases of bilateral inguinal hernia as well as girls (due to better ‎aesthetic results).