Single incision multiport versus conventional laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair: A matched comparison

Area of Science:

• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Surgical Oncology
• Laparoscopic Surgery

Background:

• Growing emphasis on wound cosmesis and body image in surgical outcomes.
• Increasing popularity of single-incision surgical procedures.
• Need to evaluate single-incision multiport totally extra-peritoneal (S-TEP) surgery benefits without specialized equipment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the benefits of S-TEP compared to conventional laparoscopic TEP (C-TEP).
• To evaluate operative time, post-operative pain, complications, cost, and cosmetic results.
• To determine the feasibility of S-TEP using standard laparoscopic instruments.

Main Methods:

• Prospective case-matched study.
• Comparison of S-TEP versus C-TEP procedures.
• Data collection from June 2014 to December 2015.

Main Results:

• 36 patients in each group; comparable clinical characteristics.
• S-TEP had longer operative times (72.6 min vs 45.1 min for C-TEP).
• S-TEP showed higher initial pain (POD 0, 1) but similar pain by POD 7.
• Cosmetic results were superior in S-TEP at 1 and 6 weeks, with similar scar acceptance at 6 months.

Conclusions:

• S-TEP is safe and feasible, even in resource-limited settings, using conventional instruments.
• Further review of indications and advantages for single-incision laparoscopic surgery is warranted.
• While initial cosmesis is better with S-TEP, long-term scar outcomes are comparable to C-TEP.