Spigelian hernia: Our total extraperitoneal approach and a systematic review of the literature

Spigelian hernia is a rare lateral ventral hernia traditionally repaired through open incision with extensive dissection. Three laparoscopic techniques have been reported in the literature: intraperitoneal onlay mesh (IPOM), transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP), and total extraperitoneal (TEP). TEP is less popular than the other approaches. We evaluated TEP's safety and effectiveness and compared different laparoscopic techniques.

All patients with Spigelian hernia who had undergone extended TEP (eTEP) repair with mesh in our center from January 2007 to February 2020 were studied. A three-port technique with a preperitoneal space created by telescope at the midline was adopted. A systematic review on laparoscopic mesh repair was performed by searching for "Spigelian hernia" and "laparoscopic" from 1999 to 2019 in the MEDLINE database.

Seven patients underwent eTEP repair for Spigelian hernia. Five presented with abdominal mass and underwent preoperative imaging. Two were diagnosed incidentally during TEP for inguinal hernia. The mean operative duration was 65 minutes (range, 40-93 minutes). There were no open conversions or intraoperative complications. The mean length of hospital stay was 1.4 days (range, 1-3 days). The mean follow-up period was 44.3 months. One patient developed seroma. There was no recurrence or chronic pain. We identified 197 laparoscopic mesh repairs reported in 41 articles. IPOM (n = 91) was the most popular approach, followed by TAPP (n = 70) and TEP (n = 36). Laparoscopic mesh repair of Spigelian hernia is safe and offers excellent outcomes.

We found the eTEP approach safe and effective for Spigelian hernia repair. IPOM, TAPP, and TEP are comparable.