Laparoscopic versus open incisional hernia repair

BackgroundTo analyze hospital resource utilization for laparoscopic vs open incisional hernia repair including the postoperative period.MethodsProspectively collected administrative data for incisional hernia repairs were examined. A total of 884 incisional hernia repairs were examined for trends in type of approach over time. Starting October 2001, detailed records were available, and examined for operating room (OR) time, cost data, length of stay (LOS), and 30-day postoperative hospital encounters.ResultsOf the total, 469 incisional hernias were approached laparoscopically (53%) and 415 open (47%). Laparoscopic repair had shorter LOS (1 ± 0.2 days vs 2 ± 0.6 days), longer OR time (149 ± 4 min vs 89 ± 4 min), higher supply costs ($2,237 ± $71 vs $664 ± $113), slightly lower total hospital cost ($6,396 ± $477 vs $7,197 ± $1,819), and slightly more postoperative hospital encounters (15% vs 13%). Use of laparoscopy increased over time (37% in 2000 vs 68% in 2004).ConclusionsLaparoscopic incisional hernia repair is becoming increasingly popular, and not at increased cost to the health care system.