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Updated: Jul 7, 2026
Application of a New Mesh Fixation Method in Laparoscopic Incisional Hernia Repair
Published on: December 23, 2022
Laparoscopic versus open inguinal herniorrhaphy: preliminary results of a randomized controlled trial
J S Barkun1, M J Wexler, E J Hinchey
1Divisions of General Surgery, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Background:
Benefits of laparoscopic herniorrhaphy (LH) over open hernia repair (OH) remain unproved.
Methods:
Interim analysis of a prospective randomized controlled trial compared OH with LH where study outcomes were measured by third-party evaluators through patient interviews.
Results:
Both groups were well matched for all baseline parameters, although LH patients anticipated a quicker postoperative recovery than OH (p = 0.014). No significant difference was noted in operating time or surgeon operative satisfaction. The median duration of hospital stay was 1 day in both groups; LH patients made use of significantly less postoperative narcotics than OH (p = 0.02). No difference was observed in the durations of convalescence (LH, 9.6 +/- 7.6 days; OH, 10.9 +/- 7.4 days). Greater improvements in quality of life were exhibited in LH patients than OH patients 1 month after operation (p = 0.035), with one of the two measures used. A greater percentage of LH patients seemed "very satisfied with their operation" (p = 0.07). Complication rates were similar, and a single recurrence, in a patient in the OH group, has been observed after a median follow-up of 14 months.
Conclusions:
Direct cost measurements showed LH to be 40% more expensive than OH in the context of a Canadian-type health care system. To date, benefits in postoperative pain and possibly quality of life have been detected in the LH group.
