Open versus laparoscopic intraperitoneal on-lay mesh repair: A comparison of outcomes in small ventral hernia

The ideal surgical treatment of small ventral hernias (defect less than 4 cm) is still debatable. In our study, we sought to compare the outcomes of open versus laparoscopic intraperitoneal on-lay mesh (IPOM) repair in small ventral hernias.

Patients with a single ventral hernia defect of less than 4 cm undergoing surgical mesh repair between January 2016 and September 2018 were prospectively registered for this study. The minimum follow-up duration was 12 months. Patient demographics, operative findings and regular post-operative follow-up details including recurrence rates and complications were recorded and analysed.

41 patients underwent laparoscopic IPOM repair and 47 patients underwent open IPOM repair. The mean age for both groups is similar with no significant difference. The mean hernia defect size for the laparoscopic group is 2.8 cm (±0.8) whereas the mean hernia defect size for the open repair group is 2.1 cm (±0.4). The mean surgery duration for open IPOM repair was significantly shorter (59 min (±17) vs 74 min (±26); p = 0.001). There was no significant difference in the incidence of seroma formation and surgical site infections post-operatively. There was also no significant difference in both groups in terms of chronic pain and recurrence at 1-year follow-up.

Open IPOM repair for small ventral hernias may be superior to laparoscopic IPOM repair due to the shorter operative duration, single incision, and no additional risk of port-site hernias. There was no difference in chronic pain, wound infection and recurrence rate between the two groups.