Which Technique Should We Select in Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repairs?

Objective: With the increasing popularity of laparoscopic surgeries, laparoscopic repairs in inguinal hernias have become more common day by day. Laparoscopic inguinal hernia repairs are most commonly performed using totally extraperitoneal (TEP) and transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) repair techniques. This study aimed to compare laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair results according to surgical techniques. Materials and Methods: Data of patients who underwent closed inguinal hernia repair between July 2017 and July 2020 were retrospectively analyzed, and patients were divided into two groups: those who underwent the TAPP (group 1) and TEP (group 2) techniques. Postoperative recurrence rates of both groups, demographic data of patients, postoperative complication rates, complication types, operation duration, and postoperative hospital stay duration were evaluated; postoperative first-week, first-month, and third-month pain scores were evaluated with the visual analog scale (VAS). Data of both groups were evaluated in terms of statistical differences. Results: A total of 113 patients underwent surgery in July 2017-July 2020, wherein 43 had TAPP (group 1) and 70 had TEP (group 2). The mean postoperative follow-up duration of patients was 10.01±4.58 months. No significant difference was found in the recurrence between the groups during the follow-up (p=0.67). No significant difference was found in postoperative complications between the groups. The operation durations were longer in group 1 than in group 2 (p=0.04). No significant difference was found between the groups in terms of postoperative hospital stay duration (p=0.29). Postoperative first-week, first-month, and third-month VAS scores were higher in group 1 than in group 2 (p