Comparison of laparoscopic and open pediatric inguinal hernia repairs at two institutions

The proposed benefits of laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair in the pediatric population include easier access to the contralateral groin and avoidance of manipulation of the spermatic cord; however, some studies also report higher recurrence rates. Due to these differences, the traditional open technique is still used by many pediatric surgeons. The objective of this study is to compare the outcomes of two institutions that employed different techniques.

We retrospectively reviewed pediatric patients who had open repair of inguinal hernias at hospital A or laparoscopic repair at hospital B. Data collection included age of patients, laterality, operative time, and complications.

From 2010 to 2015, 154 patients underwent open repair at hospital A and 220 patients underwent laparoscopic repair at hospital B. The mean operative time was 52 min for the open technique and 23 min for the laparoscopic technique (p < 0.01). There were 2.6% complications and 0.65% recurrences with the open technique, compared to 4.6% complications and 2.7% recurrences with the laparoscopic technique (p > 0.2).

Laparoscopic hernia repairs at hospital B are associated with shorter operative times and have similar outcomes as open repairs at hospital A. A prospective study with both techniques done at the same institution is warranted.