Laparoscopic versus Open Herniorrhapy in Corrected Age 3 Months

Purpose: Inguinal hernia in early infant is a challenging surgical condition. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair (LH) for small babies in corrected age 3 months compared with the traditional open inguinal hernia repair (OH). Methods: Medical records were retrospectively reviewed in 232 pediatric patients under corrected age 3 months who underwent inguinal hernia repair from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2015. The chi-squared and Fisher’s exact test were used to analyze the results of the study. Results: As for operative time, in unilateral/bilateral inguinal hernia repair, OH is faster than LH (p<0.05 vs. p=0.06). But operation time gap is shorter in bilateral hernia than unilateral hernia. As for operation site, bilateral inguinal hernia case was more performed in LH than OH (p<0.05). For comparison with the spontaneous breathing recovery time, there was no statistical difference between the two techniques (p=0.96). As for the recurrence rate, no significant difference was observed between the two techniques (p=0.36), whereas the relative risk of recurrence was higher for OH compared with LH (OR=1.56). Conclusion: LH is also feasible and safe procedure as OH for small babies in corrected age 3 months for experienced pediatric surgeons.