A case control study of needlescopic herniotomy versus open herniotomy in children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric surgery
• Minimally invasive surgery
• Hernia repair

Background:

• Laparoscopic surgery is widely used in adult general surgery.
• Laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair in pediatric patients is under investigation as an alternative to open herniotomy.
• The efficacy of laparoscopic needlescopic hernia repair in children is not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the outcomes of laparoscopic needlescopic hernia repair with conventional open herniotomy in pediatric patients.
• To evaluate the safety and feasibility of the needlescopic approach for pediatric inguinal hernias.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study was conducted in northeast India from 2018 to 2021.
• Data from 25 pediatric patients who underwent laparoscopic needlescopic hernia repair were compared with 25 patients who previously had open herniotomy.

Main Results:

• Laparoscopic needlescopic repair involved a smaller incision compared to open herniotomy.
• The operative time for laparoscopic needlescopic repair was longer than for the open technique.

Conclusions:

• Laparoscopic needlescopic hernia repair is a safe and feasible procedure for pediatric inguinal hernias.
• The outcomes of laparoscopic needlescopic repair are similar to open herniotomy.
• The primary advantage of needlescopic repair is a significantly smaller scar.