Minilaparoscopic herniorrhaphy in pediatric inguinal hernia: A durable alternative treatment tostandard herniotomy

Background: The purpose of the article is to report our long-term results of minilaparoscopic inguinal hernia repair in children. Methods: Between September 2003 and September 2008, 161 children with inguinal hernia were treated with minilaparoscopic herniorrhaphy. The asymptomatic contralateral internal ring was routinely explored and repaired if a patent processus vaginalis of not less than 2 cm was noted. Patients who were followed for less than 1 year and those who were lost to follow-up were excluded from the study. Intraoperative and postoperative complications and hernia recurrences were documented. Results: In total, 146 patients were eligible for final analysis. A total of 196 minilaparoscopic herniorrhaphies were performed. The mean follow-up period was 3 years. There were 4 hernia recurrences (2%) in 3 boys. There were no procedure-related complications. None of the patients with a negative contralateral exploration or a contralateral patent processus vaginalis of less than 2 cm had a contralateral metachronous inguinal hernia. Conclusions: Our long-term results reveal that minilaparoscopic herniorrhaphy combined with hernia sac transection is a safe and effective alternative treatment to standard open herniotomy.