Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 24, 2026
Application of Straight-needle, Three-tailed, Knot-free, Peritoneal Sutures in Laparoscopic Transabdominal Preperitoneal Hernia Repair
Published on: November 12, 2021
The Impact of Pediatric Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair in a Community Based Children's Ambulatory Surgery Center
John Lukish1, Adil Shah2, Caroline Wright3
1Department of Surgery, Western Michigan University, Stryker School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, MI, USA.
Insights
Pediatric laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair (LHR) is safe and effective in children's ambulatory surgery centers. Unilateral LHR significantly reduces room and operative times compared to open repair (OHR), showing promise for efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Minimally Invasive Surgery
- Ambulatory Surgery
Background:
- Pediatric surgery in children's ambulatory surgery centers (C-ASC) is common.
- Minimally invasive surgery presents unique challenges in this setting.
Purpose of the Study:
- Compare laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair (LHR) and open inguinal hernia repair (OHR) in children at a C-ASC.
- Assess the safety and efficacy of LHR versus OHR as a quality assurance initiative.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective case-control study analyzing records from January 2021 to December 2021.
- Compared age, weight, gender, procedure type, room time (RT), operative time (OT), and outcomes for LHR and OHR groups.
- Utilized Student's t-test for statistical analysis.
Main Results:
- Eighty-eight pediatric patients underwent LHR or OHR.
- No significant differences in age, weight, wound infections, or recurrent hernias between LHR and OHR groups.
- Unilateral LHR showed a significant reduction in RT (15%) and OT (17%) compared to unilateral OHR (p < 0.05).
Conclusions:
- Pediatric LHR is a safe and effective surgical option in C-ASCs.
- Unilateral LHR offers significant time savings over unilateral OHR.
- Further research is needed to explore the relationship between time and outcomes in this setting.
Purpose:
Pediatric surgery in a free-standing children's ambulatory surgery center (C-ASC) is a common practice. The implementation of minimally invasive surgery in this setting may be associated with unique challenges. The purpose of this study was to compare a cohort of children who underwent laparoscopic (LHR) and open inguinal hernia repairs (OHR) at the C-ASC as part of a quality assurance initiative to assess safety and efficacy.
Methods:
From January 2021 to December 2021, the records of all children who underwent LHR or OHR at our C-ASC were analyzed. The following data was retrieved and compared with the Student's t-test: age, weight, gender, procedure type, total room time (RT), total operative time (OT), and outcomes.
Results:
Eighty-eight (n = 88) children underwent LHR or OHR during this period. There was no difference between the two groups regarding their age or weight. Both groups had equal outcomes, specifically, no wound infections or recurrent hernias. (2.5 year follow-up). There was a significant reduction in RT and OT in those children who underwent unilateral LHR compared to unilateral OHR (15% and 17% respectively, p < 0.05). In those children who underwent bilateral LHR and bilateral OHR, there was a reduction in RT and OT in the LHR group compared to OHR, but it was not significant (10% and 12% respectively, p > 0.05).
Conclusions:
Pediatric LHR is safe and effective in the C-ASC. The unilateral LHR technique is associated with a significant reduction in total room time and operative time compared to the unilateral OHR technique. Additional analyses would be important to examine the relationship of time and outcomes in this setting.
Type Of Study:
Original Research Retrospective Case-control study.
