A Data-Driven Approach to Inguinal Hernia Repairs in Infants and Children

Laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair has become increasingly popular in children. The laparoscopic technique inherently assesses the contralateral processus vaginalis, reducing the risk of metachronous contralateral hernias. We hypothesized that primary laparoscopic repair would be associated with lower rates of subsequent hernia repair in the youngest patients, in whom metachronous contralateral hernias are most common. The Pediatric Health Information System database was queried for patients 0-15 years old, who underwent inguinal hernia repair between 2016 and 2022. The primary outcome was the need for subsequent hernia repair. Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) and ICD-10 procedure codes were used to determine laparoscopic versus open repair. Patients were excluded if the only recorded code was for recurrent hernia or if both laparoscopic and open codes were present for the same procedure. A total of 109,456 patients were included in the study, with 20,338 patients (18.58%), undergoing laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair initially, and 2535 patients (2.32%) requiring a second hernia repair. Patients 6 months old and younger undergoing unilateral laparoscopic repair were less likely to require subsequent surgery (OR 0.82, 95% CI = 0.69-0.96). Across all ages, open bilateral repair less often required subsequent repairs (OR 1.93, 95% CI: 1.48-2.51). Laparoscopic unilateral inguinal hernia repair decreases the need for subsequent surgical repair in infants 6 months and younger. No difference was detected in older patients. Open repair of bilateral hernias decreases the need for a second hernia operation in all age groups, suggesting that open repair is more durable.