Groin Pain Outcomes After Laparoscopic Transabdominal Preperitoneal Hernia Repair: A Prospective, Observational,...

Background Transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) repair is a widely adopted laparoscopic technique for inguinal hernia repair, offering advantages such as reduced postoperative pain and faster recovery. Because postoperative groin pain can adversely affect patient recovery and quality of life, evaluation of early pain outcomes following TAPP repair remains clinically important. This study aimed to evaluate the severity and progression of postoperative groin pain following elective TAPP repair for primary unilateral inguinal hernia using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and to assess postoperative recovery in terms of return to normal activity and analgesic requirements over a three-month follow-up period. Methodology This prospective observational study was conducted at the Department of General Surgery, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, over an 18-month period. In total, 41 patients with uncomplicated primary unilateral inguinal hernias underwent elective TAPP repair. Pain was assessed using the VAS on postoperative day one, day seven, month one, and month three. Time to return to normal daily activities and duration of analgesic use were also recorded. Results The mean age of the patients was 45.1 ± 16.43 years. The mean VAS score decreased significantly from 3.34 ± 0.89 on postoperative day one to 1.95 ± 0.59 on day seven and 0.8 ± 0.82 at three months (p < 0.001). All patients reported only mild pain from day seven onward, and no patient reported moderate or severe postoperative groin pain at the three-month follow-up. Most patients (56.5%) resumed normal daily activities within 8-14 days postoperatively. The mean duration of oral analgesic use was 5.6 ± 1.39 days, and the mean duration of clinically significant postoperative groin pain was 6.6 ± 2.7 days. Conclusions TAPP repair for primary unilateral inguinal hernia was associated with a favorable short-term postoperative pain profile, with a significant reduction in pain scores over the three-month follow-up period. Patients also demonstrated favorable short-term recovery, reflected by a relatively short duration of analgesic use and return to normal daily activities within approximately two weeks. Longer follow-up and larger comparative studies are required to evaluate chronic postoperative groin pain and further validate these findings.