Postoperative Pain After Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Ventral Hernia Repair

Area of Science:

• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Surgical Robotics
• Hernia Repair

Background:

• Robot-assisted surgery may decrease postoperative pain and shorten hospital stays for ventral hernia repair.
• The study aimed to evaluate postoperative pain after robot-assisted laparoscopic ventral hernia repair.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess postoperative pain and outcomes following robot-assisted laparoscopic ventral hernia repair.
• To compare different robotic surgical techniques (TAPP, TARM, IPOM) based on anatomical conditions.

Main Methods:

• Twenty patients underwent robot-assisted ventral hernia repair (8 primary, 12 incisional) between December 2017 and November 2019.
• Repairs utilized Da Vinci Si Surgical System, with 16 TAPP, 2 TARM, and 2 IPOM procedures.
• Patient demographics included a mean age of 60.3 years and a mean defect diameter of 3.8 cm.

Main Results:

• Mean hospital stay was 1.05 days with no reported postoperative infections or 1-year recurrences.
• At 30 days, 75% of patients reported negligible or no pain (Ventral Hernia Pain Questionnaire).
• After 1 year, all patients reported pain that was easily ignored.

Conclusions:

• Robot-assisted laparoscopic ventral hernia repair is demonstrated as a feasible and safe procedure.
• While showing potential benefits like reduced pain and shorter hospital stays, further randomized controlled trials are necessary.
• The cost-effectiveness of robotic techniques requires additional investigation compared to conventional methods.