Open or Laparoscopic Hernia Repair? A Comparative Prospective Study in the Turkish Population

Area of Science:

• General Surgery
• Surgical Outcomes
• Quality of Life Research

Background:

• Inguinal hernia repair involves open (Lichtenstein) and laparoscopic techniques (TAPP, TEP).
• Patient quality of life is a critical outcome measure post-hernia repair.
• Turkish normative data provides a benchmark for evaluating health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the quality of life impact of open versus laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair.
• To assess outcomes in a heterogeneous Turkish patient population.
• To compare patient-reported outcomes against Turkish population norms.

Main Methods:

• Prospective comparative study of 128 patients undergoing inguinal hernia repair.
• Randomized allocation to open (Lichtenstein) or laparoscopic (TAPP/TEP) surgery.
• Utilized the SF-36 quality of life questionnaire and compared results to Turkish population data.

Main Results:

• No significant overall differences in quality of life between open and laparoscopic groups.
• Laparoscopic repair showed superior physical function in women (p <0.001) compared to Turkish norms.
• Open repair demonstrated better outcomes for emotional role limitations in men (p = 0.049) versus Turkish norms.

Conclusions:

• Gender-specific recommendations for inguinal hernia repair techniques in Turkey may be warranted.
• Open repair might be preferable for men, while laparoscopic repair could be better for women.
• Surgical expertise and patient condition remain crucial factors in selecting the optimal approach.